An Abnormal Pregnancy
by READTHEEFFINGDESCRIPTION
Summary: Due to a kidnapping mix-up by the Miliatary Police, Armin becomes the host of an experimental titan baby. Contains male pregnancy and some gore.
1. Chapter 1

Armin heard voices above him. They sounded muffled, almost garbled. He heard the sounds but didn't seem to be processing them. He felt odd. Groggy, and heavy, like there was a huge weight on top of him. He tried to move but could barely twitch his fingers. His brain felt cloudy and slow, and he was so tired he felt that he could sleep for days.

"This is the Reiss girl?" Armin heard a voice say. "Thought she would be...less shapeless." Armin barely felt someone touch his waist.

"Doesn't matter!" Another voice said. "Get the serum!" There were footsteps and some metallic noises coming from next to his head, and Armin struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he could make out two figures standing over him. He seemed to be laying on something in the middle of the room. Armin blinked, looking down at his body, and noticed that something was off. The long strands of hair in his face didn't seem quite right, and the reddish-pink fabric covering his lower half seemed weird too.

Armin blinked sleepily and watched as the two figures got closer to him. One of them lifted his shirt up a bit, and after a few minutes Armin felt a dull sting in his stomach, followed closely by another. Panic began to creep into his clouded mind, and he desperately tried to move.

There was a loud crash, and Armin turned his head toward the noise slowly, barely taking in the sight of Levi's squad busting in. The sound of gunfire and blades filled the room, followed soon after by crashes and the sound of glass breaking. He looked up as a dark-haired figure leaned over him, and soon found himself lifted up and thrown over the figure's shoulder. He hung there limply, feeling himself slip back into unconsciousness.

"But who would dress him up as Historia before kidnapping him? Why not just kidnap Historia?" Armin heard Eren talking nearby.

"It's obvious, you moron." Jean said. "Two separate parties did this. Someone disguised Armin as Historia so those guys would think it was her."

"Both of you shush." Mikasa said sharply. "He's waking up." Armin shifted on the soft surface he was laying on, breathing deeply. He opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. His vision was still a little off, and he felt groggy. He saw that he was in the living room of the safe house they'd been staying at, laying on the couch. Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Historia, Hanji, and Levi were all in the living room as well, the first four huddled around the couch. Hanji and Levi sat on the couch on the other side of the room, Hanji hunched forward and reading a thick book. Armin glanced down and saw that he was wearing his normal clothes, and had just his bangs laying across his forehead. Hanji looked up from her book suddenly, then set it aside and got up.

"Step aside guys, let me look at him." Everyone backed away a bit, allowing Hanji to kneel down next to the couch. "Hey Armin...How are you feeling?" Armin stared at her. His brain still felt foggy and muddled. His stomach hurt too. There were two concentrated areas of pain that felt like he'd been pricked by something, and then another weird pain deep in his abdomen. Armin looked down and lifted his shirt, remembering the two men and a faint glimpse of a shiny needle.

"They gave you some kind of shot-" Jean started. Historia punched his upper arm. "Ouch!"

"We weren't supposed to tell him!" Historia said, looking upset. "It will scare him!" Armin sat up slightly, looking at his belly.

"Two shots..." He murmured, rubbing his eyes. "I remember, sorta..." He shook his head, trying to clear it.

"All of you go back to what you were doing." Hanji said, getting up. Armin watched as Eren, Mikasa, Jean, and Historia filed out, then turned his attention to Hanji. "Listen, Armin." Hanji said, digging through her pockets. "They did inject you with two things." She pulled a syringe out of her pocket. "This was the only one that still had liquid in it. The other was smashed." Armin stared at the needle for several minutes, his brain slowly processing everything that had happened.

"What's in it?" He finally asked.

"Some kind of...tissue replicator..." Hanji picked up the book she'd been reading and several papers. "A long time ago someone was able to find a way to replicate certain body organs, but much of the information was lost. There are only a few organs that can be replicated but it almost never works. And it's pretty much banned inside the walls."

"What organs?" Armin asked. Hanji looked at Levi, who sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Just tell him, four-eyes." Levi said. "He'll find out eventually." Armin looked at Hanji expectantly. Hanji sighed.

"A sack, or pouch, similar to a woman's uterus." She said. Armin stared, then looked down at his stomach, alarmed.

"But...why?" Armin sat up fully, panicked. "What was in the other one?!" He thought frantically, trying to shake the grogginess and fog. He needed to think. If they were trying to grow a womb inside him, the only reason for that would be... "Oh..." He said, everything clicking together. He held his stomach, feeling sick suddenly.

"I'm sure you know..." Hanji said. Armin looked at her, his eyes pleading.

"You have to take it out!" He said, panic in his voice.

"I can't..." Hanji said. "There is nothing in there yet but juices and energy fusing right now. The sack forming inside you is what's isolating the serum from the rest of your body." She looked through her papers. "If I were to break the sack, the serum would get into your body and _poof!_ you would become a titan.

"But..." Armin wove his fingers into his hair, distressed, "it can't...we can't just leave it in there!" Hanji put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Armin..." She said. "It's the safest thing to do. We have to wait for it to be fully developed. Wait for the serum to fully form into a large enough size. Then we will remove it." Armin sat silently, listening but in too much shock to say anything. "The idea was to impregnate Historia." Hanji explained. "So when the titan was born it would eat Eren. Using a titan that was conceived, not created, from another human. Easier to control. But we won't let that happen." Armin rested his hands on his flat stomach, then nodded slowly. "Rest, Armin...It's going to be a crappy week for you..." Armin nodded and laid back down, watching as Levi and Hanji went into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

"Poor kid." Hanji sighed and plopped down in a chair at the table, holding her head in her hands. She watched as Levi made tea.

"You're positive you can get it out of him once it's developed?" He asked.

"I'm not positive on anything, Levi..." She buried her face in her hands, feeling the weight of everything on her. Levi sat down at the table and pushed a cup of tea toward her. Hanji traced her fingers along the rim of the cup, pouting. "You didn't put any milk in it..." She flopped her head onto the table. Levi rolled his eyes and got up, getting the milk. He brought the glass bottle back to the table and sat down again.

"Relax, four-eyes." He said, ruffling her hair. "We'll figure something out."

"You're right." Hanji sat up. "We can only make him as comfortable as possible."


	2. Chapter 2

Armin was laying in his bed, resting, when there was a soft knock on his door. Armin sat up.

"Hello?" He asked. Eren walked in, followed closely by Mikasa.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." Armin said. He folded his legs under him, resting his hands in his lap. His stomach was slightly bloated already. Eren plopped down at the end of Armin's bed, looking grumpy.

"So...I heard what Squad Leader and Captain Levi were saying..."

"What were they saying?"

"That...you...um...Have a titan inside you..." Eren said. Armin sighed and rested his hands on his bloated tummy in a protective way.

"Yeah..." He said. Eren glared at Armin's stomach.

"Can't they just take it out?" Eren asked.

"No...If they try to take it out I'll end up turning into a titan." Armin said. Eren looked even more angry.

"But...how can they just do NOTHING?!"

"There's nothing they can do right now, Eren." Armin said. "We just have to wait..."

"WAIT?!" Eren yelled. "Wait for you to blow up like you're pregnant or something?!" Armin sighed and looked at his stomach.

"There's just not anything we can do right now..." Armin shifted uncomfortably, feeling something heat up inside his belly. He felt sick to his stomach. He wished Eren would stop yelling.

Eren stood suddenly, clenching his fists.

"I'm going to find out whoever did this." He growled. "We shouldn't have spared their lives." Armin shot him an angry look.

"You can't go after anyone as long as the Military Police are after you." He said. Eren looked livid.

"THOSE SICK FREAKS WHO DID THIS TO YOU WILL-" Mikasa suddenly decked Eren in the face, successfully shutting him up. Eren fell back, hitting the floor with a thud.

"Mikasa...!" Armin stared in shock.

"You heard them. There is nothing we can do except make sure Armin is healthy and comfortable until Hanji can get it out of him. The entire reason for this was so they could get you eaten. So you need to stay put." Eren sat up slowly, rubbing his cheek. Armin watched him, holding his stomach tighter as the heat intensified. There was a sudden sharp pain, and he gasped. "Armin?" Mikasa looked at him. Armin groaned and hunched forward as something expanded inside his belly, pushing against his organs painfully and stretching the skin of his stomach as his belly swelled. Eren stared, horrified and sickened. Armin's stomach continued to swell, pushing his shirt up slightly and causing strain on the buttons. "Go get Hanji." Mikasa said suddenly.

"Me?" Eren stood quickly, staring at Armin's stomach.

"Hurry, Eren!" Eren tore his eyes away from Armin's belly and dashed out of the room. Armin breathed heavily, relaxing slightly as the heat and the pain faded. Mikasa sat down on the edge of the bed, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. Armin leaned against her, feeling drained. He was still in shock over it all, and he had so many emotions flooding through him he just felt like crying. But he was too exhausted to cry. Armin snuggled closer to Mikasa, listening to her steady breathing.

He looked up when Eren rushed in with Hanji and Levi. Hanji and Eren hurried over to the bed, while Levi stood back, watching.

"Let me see." Hanji said, leaning over. Armin pulled his shirt up to show her his bloated tummy. Hanji laid her hands on his stomach and felt around. "It just swelled up?" She asked.

"Yeah, all of a sudden..." Armin sat up straight, allowing Hanji to continue to feel around.

"It's still fairly soft." Hanji said. "The sack is probably filling with fluid right now." Eren stared, looking like he was going to be sick.

"You don't think it's started growing yet?" Armin asked. Hanji shook her head.

"I don't feel anything..." She said.

"Alright..." Armin pulled his shirt back down.

"Okay, um..." Hanji held her head in her hands, trying to think. "We need to keep him well-nourished. We can't let it drain the vitamins out of him. Levi, think you can cook him something for him?" Levi nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Armin laid back down, and Hanji covered him with a blanket. His belly showed even under the blanket, rising and falling gently with each breath he took. Hanji began rubbing his stomach gently, easing the soreness and discomfort. Armin smiled and relaxed, laying his head back comfortably. "Does that feel better?" Hanji asked. Armin nodded and glanced down at his stomach.

"How big do you think it's going to get before you can take it out?" he asked.

"I'm not sure." Hanji said. "You're on the small side..." Armin sighed and laid back, a million questions on his mind. Everything was so weird and confusing. "Warm enough?" Hanji asked. Armin nodded and rested his hands on his swollen belly. Eren plopped down in a chair nearby, crossing his arms in frustration and glaring at the wall. Armin closed his eyes, dozing off for a while and waking again when Levi came in, carrying a tray of food. He sat up, allowing Hanji to prop some pillows behind his back, and looked at the tray Levi placed in his lap. It was a simple plate of steamed vegetables, a small portion of meat, and some bread, with a cup of tea off to the side of the tray. Armin murmured his thanks and picked up the fork. Levi gave him a curt nod and left the room as Armin began to eat.

"Huh." Hanji examined the tray. "Maybe we should all get pregnant so we can have meat." She ruffled Armin's hair lightly, laughing at her own joke.

"Don't say that." Eren growled angrily. Hanji looked at him questioningly. "He's not...he's not..." Armin glanced at Eren briefly, then continued eating. He really wasn't in the mood for one of Eren's tantrums. Maybe if they ignored it he'd shut up... "How can you all treat this like it's the miracle of life or something?!" Eren burst out, rising from his chair. Armin froze while getting a piece of carrot onto his fork, tensing. Nope. He wasn't going to shut up. He turned to Eren, glaring.

"We're not." He said, a sharp edge to his voice. "We're doing what we have to do for now...until we can get it out."

"THAT THING IS GOING TO EAT HIM FROM THE INSI-" Armin let his fork drop and grabbed a pillow, finally snapping. He threw it at Eren as hard as he could, hitting him square in the face. He had aimed at Eren's chest, but Armin was just mildly surprised that he'd hit him at all. Overall. though, he was angry.

"YOU THINK I WANT THIS?!" He screamed, his voice cracking on the last syllable. Eren and Mikasa both stared at him in shock.

"Both of you stop it or I'm going to have Levi break some bones." Hanji said, shooting Eren an angry glance. Armin shook, his chest heaving with anger and his fists clenched with rage. Eren stared at him, the shock fading and being replaced with a hurt look. Armin breathed heavily, his anger draining away. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and his face crumpled as he began to cry. He covered his face with his hands, sobbing. Mikasa stomped over to Eren, her expression angry, and grabbed his hand.

"No...Armin, I..." Mikasa dragged him out of the room, slamming the door behind them. Armin continued to cry. What if Eren was right? What if it did eat him from the inside out? And even if Hanji was able to cut it out of him, what then? Would Hanji kill it? Keep it for research purposes? Would he even survive getting cut open like that? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

Armin was still sobbing when Hanji moved the tray of food out of the way and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around him. She rested one hand on his head and stroked his hair comfortingly.

"Eren is just concerned and a little freaked out." Hanji said gently. Armin leaned against her, trying to calm down. His crying seemed to be making the pain in his stomach worse. Hanji sighed and continued. "We all are. But I promise you I'm not going to let anything happen to you...I refuse to lose another team member if I can help it." Armin nodded, tears still running down his cheeks. He tried to catch his breath, but his stomach felt painfully hot again. He tensed as his belly swelled slightly. "Don't tense up." Hanji said. She leaned him back, allowing his stomach to stick out. "Breathe it out. Tensing will just make it harder for your skin to stretch." Hanji sat up straighter and demonstrated how to breathe with her abdominal muscles; sucking them in while inhaling and then pushing them out while exhaling. Armin did so, but the titan's growth spurt was still extremely painful. He groaned and clutched his stomach, struggling to stay relaxed. "You're okay...you're okay..." Hanji rubbed his back.

Armin went limp and leaned against Hanji when it ended, breathing heavily. He didn't know how much more of this he could bear. His stomach already felt like it was about to split open. Hanji placed her hand on his tummy carefully, feeling around. Her expression flickered between surprise and worry for a moment, then she removed her hand.

"Here..." She handed Armin the tray of food again. "Finish your dinner, or else Levi will be pissed you let it get cold." Armin sat up straighter and wiped his eyes.

"Okay..." Armin picked up his fork and continued eating.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter contains a bit of omorashi. Just a warning so that I (hopefully) don't have people complaining in the comments. Glad everyone is liking this so far! I promise the next chapter will be finished and up within two weeks.

* * *

Eren paced the downstairs hallway furiously, full of pent-up energy and rage.

"How could this happen?! He can't be pregnant! He's _not_ pregnant, he's _infected_! WITH A PARASITE! And we remove parasites!" He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to punch the wall out of frustration. "It's a _titan_!" Eren stopped in front of Mikasa, shaking with rage. "WE KILL TITANS! WHY IS NO ONE _DOING_ ANYTHING?!"

"Becuase there's nothing we _can_ do, Eren." Mikasa said from her spot on the hallway floor. "Not yet anyway."

"What if it starts...ea...eat..." Eren found himself unable to say it. "He's our friend...this is..." Eren wiped away the tears forming in his eyes.

"It's not going to eat him." Mikasa said. Her expression, though half-hidden by her hair and her scarf, was stoic as usual. Calm. "He'll be fine." She said. Eren sat down behind her, leaning against her back. He wiped his eyes again, his anger and worry still simmering away.

"You need to calm down." Mikasa said sternly. "At least for his sake." She went quiet for a while, and the two of them listened to the barely audible conversation coming from Armin's room, the noise almost completely drowned out by the other members of Levi's squad talking loudly from the kitchen. Mikasa sighed softly. "He's scared too, you know." She said.

Eren looked toward the door of Armin's room. He couldn't get the image of Armin's swollen belly out of his head. It was all wrong. It was...grotesque. Eren couldn't help but feel disgusted at the monster growing inside of his best friend.

"Hmph." Eren crossed his arms over his chest. If he was scared, then Armin was probably terrified. "I know that."

"Then act like you do." Mikasa said. He voice calm and flat as always. Eren ran his hand over his face. Her stoic demeanor both calmed him and pissed him off at the same time.

"Are you made out of solid brick or something?" He muttered. Mikasa paused for a while, then shifted suddenly and sat with her back against the wall. Eren followed suit, sitting next to her.

"No." She finally said. Eren thought she looked a little sad. He leaned against her shoulder, his eyes watering again.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to him."

"I will." Eren said. Mikasa wrapped her arm around his shoulder, holding him against her.

"Now if you feel it growing again remember what I told you about the breathing" Hanji said, picking up the empty tray from Armin's lap. "Don't tense. Just breathe and let it grow." Armin nodded and leaned back against his pillows, pulling his blanket up over his swollen belly. "Do you want me to stay with you?" Hanji asked.

"No, that's okay." Armin rested his hands on his belly. Hanji looked at him for a minute, then smiled suddenly.

"I have something for you." She said. "I'll be right back." Hanji left the room, carrying the tray with her. Armin waited, arranging his pillows so that he could lay propped up. He also placed a pillow under his knees, trying to alleviate the pain that was building in his back. Hanji came back after a few minutes, carrying a large stack of books. She set them on his nightstand.

"Fresh from my illegal stash of books." Hanji said, smiling mischievously. Armin's face lit up, and he grabbed the book at the top of the stack. Hanji turned the lamp on for him. "Try to rest." She said. "I'll be back later to check on you." She left his room, closing the door behind her. Armin began flipping through the first book, but another one on the stack caught his eye. The book looked fairly new, contrasting with the rest of the old, battered-looking books in the stack. He picked it up and read the title. _Fetal Development and Pregnancy_ it read. Curious, he opened it.

Armin thumbed through the first few pages, then stopped when he saw some pictures. It was two pages of detailed pictures of a fetus as it developed in the womb, month by month, with explanations of each stage. In the first few stages, the fetus looked like shapeless tissue, with a large head and enormous eyes. But as the stages advanced, the bean-like figure began to look more and more human. In the last picture, the fetus was curled up tightly in the womb, sucking it's tiny thumb. Armin stared at the pictures, his hand drifting toward his stomach. He skimmed through some other parts of the book, reading up on pregnancy symptoms to figure out exactly what he should expect until Hanji could remove the titan, then froze.

Something deep inside his stomach moved. Armin dropped the book, and it slid down his stomach and onto his lap. The movement was faint, barely a twitch, but it was so sudden and unexpected. Armin cradled his belly gently, smiling.

"Hey there..." He said, rubbing the spot where he felt the movement. He was so caught up in the moment he didn't even hear the door open.

"Who are you talking to?" Eren asked, standing in the doorway. Armin looked up.

"Oh!" Armin closed the book and set it aside. "No one."

"Um..." Eren walked into the room, and Armin noticed Mikasa standing in the doorway as well. "Sorry...about earlier..."

"It's alright..." Armin said. "I'm sorry too." Eren rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and glanced at Mikasa. Mikasa entered the room, watching Armin with a guarded expression.

"We're just worried, Armin." She said. "We wish there was something more we could do."

"It's alright...I think..." Armin looked down at his stomach, feeling an odd sense of calm. "I think everything is going to turn out okay." He cradled his stomach, feeling a warm glow of happiness building in his chest. Maybe the titan would turn out to be more human. Maybe it would even be a shifter, like Eren. And then he'd be...a mom? A dad? Either way he'd be a parent. Caring for a baby...One that had grown inside his belly...

"We'll get that thing out of you as soon as we can." Eren said. Armin furrowed his brow.

"Yeah..." He said. Armin wasn't sure if he was looking forward to it anymore.

"Do you want us to stay?" Eren asked. Armin nodded and moved the books onto his nightstand, giving Eren and Mikasa some room on the bed. Eren lay down on Armin's left side, and Mikasa lay down on his right, sandwiching Armin between them. Armin closed his eyes, falling asleep in minutes.

A couple of hours later, Armin's stomach had gotten even bigger, pushing his shirt up a bit more. There were tiny squirms inside his belly, and he shifted in his sleep. It was an odd sensation, and he woke up as the squirming intensified. It was making him feel sick to his stomach. He rubbed his belly, trying to calm the titan down so he could rest.


	4. Chapter 4

Oops, okay, I feel dumb and apparently need to do a better job proofreading... THIS is the chapter that contains omorashi. Again, just a warning. And again, thank you everyone who has given positive feedback! It is much appreciated.

* * *

Hanji sat at her desk, mixing some chemicals in a beaker. Her room was extremely messy and cluttered, since it had become a mixture of a bedroom and a laboratory. Levi typically expressed his displeasure with her filthy living quarters every time he was in there (loudly, and with many profanities), but tonight he was silent. He sat on the edge of her bed, which he had made quickly without even commenting on the dirty clothes and dozens of books and papers scattered across it, and watched her work in silence.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to re-make that slow regeneration chemical I made back in earlier experiments. I used it once on a Titan to try and slow it's healing but it didn't work. But maybe I can tweak it... Make the Titan growing in Armin slow down. His little belly won't be able to stretch much."

"Do you think it'll work this time?" Levi asked. Hanji rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I don't know..." She said.

"Hm." Levi picked up a pair of pants from the floor and folded them; Hanji's messy room really beginning to irritate him. "If you're going to try messing with it you need to be careful."

"I'm aware of that."

"Just be careful..." Levi said, stacking Hanji's books.

"Careful..." Hanji murmured, yawning. Levi gathered all the loose papers on her desk into a pile.

"You should get some rest, four-eyes." He said.

"I can't, Levi...I have to fix this."

"You're going to screw something up if you're sleep deprived."

"Levi, I don't know what I'm up against." Hanji said. Levi sighed and left the room, coming back about ten minutes later with a teacup. He set it on the corner of Hanji's desk.

"There. At least keep yourself awake." Levi said. Hanji sipped it. It was extremely sugary and creamy.

"Thanks."

"If you don't slow the growth, how long will it take?" Levi asked.

"A day or two. That's too fast." Hanji leaned back in her chair, sipping her tea while reviewing the notes they had taken from the kidnappers.

"Way too fast..." Levi agreed.

"Yes...Something doesn't make sense though."

"What is it?" Levi asked.

"If they thought he was a girl, why go through the trouble of growing a pouch?"

"Good question..." Levi looked at the notes over Hanji's shoulder. Hanji sighed and pushed her glasses up onto her forehead. She sipped her tea, feeling sleepy. A short nap wouldn't be too bad...Hanji felt herself begin to nod off, then was suddenly jerked awake by a piercing shriek. She lept out of her chair, rushing to Armin's room.

* * *

Armin shifted on the bed, his stomach feeling hot again. He focused on his breathing, anticipating another growth spurt from the titan. The titan squirmed around, becoming so hot it felt like a red-hot rock had been dropped into Armin's abdomen. He shrieked in pain and sat up, grabbing his belly as it swelled. As the titan grew, it pushed on his organs more, and put pressure on his hips and back.

"Armin?" Eren sat up groggily, then became instantly alert when he saw Armin hunched over in pain. "Armin!" He shook his shoulders. Armin trembled and gasped in pain. Hanji and Levi burst in, Hanji looking panicked.

"Armin?" Hanji rushed over to the bed. Armin moaned and leaned his head against his knees as his belly swelled again, popping a couple of buttons off his shirt. Hanji grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him onto his back. Armin held his stomach, tearing up from the pain. His belly felt like it was going to split. It was sticking out much more now, and taking on a rounder shape. "Armin, calm down. Hold still. Breathe like I showed you." Hanji felt around on his stomach. Armin tried to steady his breathing, but shrieked and arched his back when the titan grew again. "Shh...shh..." Hanji massaged his stomach gently. The titan seemed to calm at first, but suddenly thrashed sideways and kicked Hanji's hand. Hanji drew her hand back in shock.

"What's happening to him?!" Eren sounded panicked. Armin gasped and began to relax as the titan settled down, but his breathing was still erratic. He wiped his eyes and looked up as Levi's squad rushed in, gathering around the doorway. All of them stared, looking horrified and sickened. Armin pulled his blanket over his stomach and looked away from them, feeling embarrassed.

"What...is _that?_ " Jean asked. Armin winced as the titan began moving again.

"It's...a titan..." he murmured.

"I know _that_ but..." Conny cut in suddenly.

"It's HUGE!" He exclaimed. Armin held his stomach as the titan shifted downward in his abdomen. Hanji quickly waved everyone out, and Armin relaxed again. The titan settled down in between his hips. Armin groaned. It felt like the titan was pushing his hips apart. And now it was pushing on his internal organs even more.

"Are you alright?" Hanji asked.

"Yeah, its just...pushing..." Armin winced and sat up.

"Pushing...?" Armin held his stomach, waiting to see if the titan was going to move again.

"Pushing on my bladder..." He sighed and stood up, feeling off-balance from his large belly.

"Do you need to pee?" Hanji asked. Armin nodded, pressing his thighs together briefly as the titan squirmed, adding more pressure to his full bladder. "Do you want me to help you, or...?"

"No, that's okay..." Armin headed to the bathroom, feeling his bladder throb painfully every time the titan shifted on top of it. Hanji and Levi followed, waiting in the hallway for him.

"Levi...do you think I'm coddling him?" Hanji asked. Levi shrugged.

"Yeah...But I'd say he needs it right now. Kid's probably scared shitless." Levi leaned against the wall, waiting.

"Do you want to help him?" Hanji asked after a few minutes of silence.

"With...?" Levi glanced at her. Hanji gestured toward the bathroom. Levi hesitated, then sighed and walked to the bathroom door.

* * *

Armin fidgeted in front of the toilet, making a small noise of frustration in the back of his throat. It was difficult to even reach around his large belly, and the titan sitting on his bladder made it feel like his bladder was going to release at any moment. But somehow, he couldn't empty it.

He looked over his shoulder when he heard a soft knock at the door, and, figuring it was Hanji, opened it just a crack before repositioning himself in front of the toilet.

"Sorry." Armin was surprised to hear Levi talking. "Hanji thinks you need help or something." Levi closed the door behind him.

"Oh." Armin fidgeted, still trying to empty his bladder. "Um...well...I kinda do, but..."

"But...?" Levi asked. Armin sighed.

"I don't think anyone can really help, but...I can't go..." Armin pressed a hand against his lower stomach, trying to coax the titan to move. He heard Levi sigh, then heard the door open.

"What's wrong?" Hanji asked.

"He says he can't go."

"He can't go?" Armin heard Hanji sigh. "I'll get him some more tea. That might help a little...I'll be right back." The door closed softly, and Armin heard Levi move. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on emptying his throbbing bladder. Armin pushed against the titan again, but it didn't move. He stood there for a few more minutes, waiting, then gave up. Armin sighed and fixed his pants, then sat down on the edge of the bathtub. He pressed his thighs together, squirming briefly.

"Do you need me to leave?" Levi asked, looking at Armin out of the corner of his eye.

"No, it's..." Armin fidgeted and rubbed his stomach. "It's just that it's sitting on my bladder and I think it's pushing it down too much..."

"Hm. Maybe it'll move."

"I hope so..." Armin waited, wincing and squirming when the titan shifted and nudged his bladder with its foot. He bit his lip and squirmed, his eyes watering. There was so much pressure...

There was a knock on the door again, and Levi opened it, stepping back to let Hanji in.

"Ow, ow." Hanji set a cup of tea down on the bathroom counter, spilling it a little, and quickly wiped her hand on her pants. "There we go. Drink up, Armin." Armin picked up the steaming cup, blew on it, and sipped the tea. It had an overwhelming amount of sugar in it, but it wasn't bad overall. Hanji sat down on the edge of the tub next to him and rubbed his back.

Armin finished about half the cup before setting it aside, then waited. Hanji leaned toward him and massaged his belly, putting even more pressure on Armin's bladder. Armin pressed his thighs together, fidgeting and waiting for the titan to change positions.

"This might help..." Hanji explained. She stared at his belly, intrigued. It was poking out of Armin's shirt, the skin red and stretched out. "Are you scared?" She asked. Armin nodded, looking down at his stomach.

"It already feels so big..." Armin said, worry in his voice.

"It feels bigger than it actually is." Hanji explained. "A lot of the bulk, I believe, is fluid." Armin tensed and sat up straighter as the titan swept it foot underneath his belly button. The movement was slow and gentle. Almost affectionate. Hanji stared at him, eyes wide. "I felt that." She said. Armin laid his hands on his belly, feeling the titan move again. The titan turned over, moving back slightly, and pressed its hands into Armin's side. Armin laid his hand over the titan's, tearing up. He felt the warm glow in his chest again, and sniffed as tears dripped down his cheeks. "Armin?" Hanji asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"It's..." Armin smiled, tears still falling. He had no idea how he felt anymore. He was scared and upset and filled with anxiety, but he also felt happy and excited. He felt affection toward the titan growing inside his belly, even though it did hurt him. He knew it wasn't trying to. "It's sweet..." Armin said, his voice soft and shaky with emotion.

"Huh?" Hanji looked taken aback. Levi stared at him, his expression blank. "Armin..." Hanji said gently. "What are you talking about?"

"It likes me..." Armin said, feeling the titan nudge his hand again before shifting back further.

"Armin..." Hanji watched him, looking very sad. Armin wiped his eyes.

"S-sorry, I..." Armin fidgeted again as the titan nudged his bladder with it's foot. Hanji sighed and stood.

"Try to empty your bladder again..." She said, exiting the bathroom. Armin stood and got into position in front of the toilet again, reaching around his large stomach. He relaxed, getting out a small trickle before the titan shifted around again. He sighed and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Still can't go?" Levi asked.

"No..."

"Try arching your back a little and pushing your hips forward." Levi suggested. Armin did so. "And push like you're trying to take a shit." Armin hesitated, then did that as well. His bladder began to empty slowly, finally alleviating some of the pressure in his abdomen.

Bladder empty, he fixed his pants and cleaned up, then followed Levi back to his room. Hanji was talking with Eren when he entered, and immediately stopped talking when they spotted him. Armin walked past them and laid down on his bed, exhausted.

"Think you can get some sleep?" Hanji asked. Armin nodded and pulled his blankets up, getting comfortable. Hanji laid a few more blankets across the foot of his bed, the left with Levi. Eren and Mikasa laid down on either side of him again, and Armin wrapped his arms around his tummy. The titan moved slightly, gently nudging his arm with its foot. It was an odd sensation, and soothing in a way. He closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Eren was half asleep when he felt something nudge his arm. He elbowed it instinctively, then heard Armin make an irritated noise in his sleep and scoot away just slightly. But there wasn't much room on the bed, and he scooted into Mikasa, waking her from her light sleep. Eren blinked sleepily and looked over, confused to see Mikasa awake and looking at him.

"Did I hit you?" He asked, sitting up. His arm touched Armin's side, and something kicked it. "Ugh!" Eren scrambled out of bed, realizing with alarm what had nudged him. He watched Armin's stomach with revulsion, seeing small ridges in his skin when the titan moved around. _How the hell can he sleep through that?_ Eren wondered, watching as Armin turned onto his side and stretched out in the space Eren had previously been laying in.

"What's wrong?" Mikasa asked, sitting up. Eren said nothing. He turned to Armin's desk and began rummaging through it. "Eren?" Mikasa got up, walking toward him. Eren opened another drawer and rummaged through some pencils and a couple of books, then finally found it. He pulled out Armin's pocket knife, flipping it open and turning back to the bed.

"Just hang on, Armin. I'm getting this thing out of you." Eren stepped toward him, but Mikasa got in his way, grabbing his wrists.

"Eren, NO." She said, pushing him back. Eren fought her, watching Armin sit up sleepily.

"Hmm?" Armin blinked at them, then stared in shock.

"Mikasa, stop!" He tried to push her away, but she was too strong. She wrestled the knife from him, dropped it on the floor, and grabbed him around the middle. She lifted him up and threw him down in the desk chair, stunning him.

"Are you trying to kill him?! Is that it?!" She glared at him angrily.

"You don't get it! Hanji said..." Eren trailed off, not wanting to say it. Mikasa narrowed her dark eyes at him.

"What did Hanji say?" she asked. Eren felt tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, and his expression crumpled. He buried his face in Mikasa's shoulder, crying. Mikasa wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Eren trembled against her, not noticing Armin get up and quietly slip out of the room.

* * *

Hanji gulped down her fifth cup of tea in the course of two hours and continued mixing some chemicals together. It was late. So late that everyone else was asleep. Other than Eren and Mikasa, at least. She could hear them arguing upstairs but didn't dwell on it, focusing on her work instead. There were dark bags under her eyes, and she was so tired she felt sluggish and heavy.

"I swear if those brats don't shut up..." Levi muttered from his spot on Hanji's bed.

"If it's such an issue, go to bed." Hanji said shortly.

"I'm not going to bed until you do, four-eyes."

"I can't, Levi...you know that..." She used a dropper to add another chemical to the beaker in front of her, holding her breath and waiting to see if it would bind together or just float to the top like it always did before. She watched them bind, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh..." She scribbled down some notes, then leaned back in her chair and pushed her glasses up. "That was stressful. This will slow down the growth more than half of it's rate."

"Good..." Levi said. Hanji carefully filled a syringe with the liquid, then laid it on her desk and got up to find Armin.

* * *

Armin hugged his stomach, seated on one of the steps leading up to the front porch. The sky was dark, with clouds obscuring the starts and moon. Armin wondered briefly whether it would rain, but didn't dwell on it. He felt cold and aching and miserable but didn't want to go back inside. He was desperately craving company and affection but at the same time didn't want to be around anyone.

"Armin?" Someone opened the front door behind him. Armin knew by the voice that it was Hanji. He barely glanced sideways when Hanji sat down beside him. "Do I even need to ask?" Hanji probed. Armin stayed silent for a while, resting his hand on his belly. The titan shifted around inside him, making him feel nauseous and irritating his back more.

"Hanji..." He finally said, "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me..."

"Deal." Hanji said. Armin looked at her, tears forming in his eyes.

"Am I going to die...?" He asked, his throat feeling tight and his eyes brimming with tears. Hanji sighed.

"The short answer, Armin...I don't know. I am not certain of anything. The fact is, the titan is growing at an immense rate. It's already a third developed in one night alone. I'm only able to know what is going on inside you by the notes we swiped. It's vague. You are a small guy... Your body is really not built to go through something like this. The hormones, the growth, the toll it's going to take...There is a reason females carry young. Everything that is happening to you shouldn't be. It's not meant to. You are not supposed to have this inside you and titans are not meant to be inside people." She smiled for just a moment. "Ironically..." She muttered, then looked at him with a serious expression. "I can't tell you what is going to happen. This...is exactly what I told Eren. Eren, being Eren, I guess is taking that as a final answer?" Armin nodded, wincing as the titan shifted around again.

"This all feels so wrong, but..."

"But?"

"I feel protective of it." Armin admitted. "I shouldn't, I know...It's a monster, not human..." Hanji looked at him, her expression unreadable.

"It's only natural, I suppose." She said. "Having something grow inside you and depend on you. Then again, it could just be artificial hormones, and your feelings are not real."

Armin leaned forward, curling up on himself. He had no idea how to feel anymore. He knew he should be experiencing mood swings and other symptoms due to hormones, but the only type of mood swings he felt was going back and forth between being terrified and being too overwhelmed to feel, leaving him just feeling numb and sad.

"I have good news." Hanji announced.

"What is it?"

"I was able to finish a serum I had been making a few months back. If it works, it will slow the growth down. A lot. And you will have a little more time to adjust to this."

"How much time?" Armin asked.

"Several days. Maybe a week." Armin felt his tense shoulders relax slightly in relief. "Want to come in and get this over with?" Hanji asked. Armin nodded and got up. Hanji led him inside to her room. Levi was inside, sitting at Hanji's desk. "Levi, we're going to do this now." Hanji filled a syringe with something. "Then we can all go to bed and address exactly what is happening with the rest of the squad in the morning." Armin watched her apprehensively.

"Should I sit down, or...?"

"Lay your little butt down." Hanji yawned and patted her bed. "And pray I don't accidentally stick you in the liver." Armin laid down, watching Hanji. She held the syringe in one hand and felt around on Armin's stomach with the other, then aimed the needle and pierced his flesh. Armin winced but managed to lay still, even when the titan started acting up. There was a burning sensation when Hanji injected something, then a stinging pain as she removed the needle. "There..." Armin felt relief almost instantly. The pressure in his belly was eased a bit, and the titan settled down. "Now you can tell Eren we have a plan." Hanji yawned and put the needle on her desk. "And get some actual sleep." Armin nodded and got up, holding his stomach while the titan shifted forward. "Goodnight Armin." Hanji ruffled his hair lightly.

"Goodnight." Armin replied. He left the room, heading back upstairs. Eren and Mikasa were still in his room when he entered, Eren sitting in the desk chair and Mikasa half sitting on the desk. Armin made his way to the bed and sat down with a heavy sigh. His back was beginning to hurt again, and the trip upstairs had left him feeling breathless and exhausted. "Hanji slowed the growth down..." Armin said, his gaze fixed on the end of the bed.

"How?" Eren leaned forward in his seat, his expression anxious.

"Some type of serum..." Armin rubbed his eyes. "My stomach already hurts less."

"So...there is more time for you?" Eren asked. Armin nodded, stretching his legs out in front of him and covering them with his blankets. Eren sighed, looking slightly relieved. Armin's stomach did hurt less, but he still looked exhausted and pale. His stomach (which his shirt no longer covered) was bruised and swollen. Armin laid down, looking at his large stomach. It was odd to see it bulging out so much, looking like a small mountain that rose and fell with each breath. Eren got up and left the room, coming back in a few minutes with a wet cloth. He laid it on Armin's stomach, then crawled into bed next to him. Mikasa laid down on his other side, watching him. Armin moved the wet cloth slightly, positioning it over the titan. The cloth was cool and soothing against his sore stomach.

The titan shifted just slightly, turning over and settling toward Armin's right side. Mikasa touched his side lightly, and the titan nudged her in return. Armin smiled lightly and closed his eyes, pulling the blankets up. Eren moved closer to his other side and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. Armin shifted around a bit, tucking a pillow under his knees before laying back down on his back. His back still hurt, but he felt warm and safe and comfortable. He drifted off, listening to Eren and Mikasa's soft breathing.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! Thanks again for the positive feedback. :) My apologies for this chapter taking so long. I ended up really busy with school for a couple of weeks there and this chapter ended up a bit longer than I expected. But, after this weekend I should be free to write some more and should have chapter seven up before too long.

* * *

Eren awoke later than usual the next morning, worn out from the emotional night before. He was pushed up against the wall, one arm pinned against his chest and the other curled under his head. Armin's back was pushed against his, his bony shoulder blades poking him. Eren shifted around to get comfortable, sitting up in the corner of the bed and rubbing his eyes tiredly. Mikasa was already awake, fully dressed and sitting on the very edge of the bed, watching Armin.

"You sure slept in." She noted, looking at him.

"Is everyone else up?" He asked.

"Everyone except Armin and Hanji. Levi told us not to wake Hanji up unless someone was dying. Apparently she hadn't slept in days." Eren nodded, leaning back against the headboard. He yawned and glanced at Armin. He seemed to be sleeping soundly, curled up on his side and hugging his stomach. His stomach was sticking out of his half-unbuttoned shirt, the skin red with a small bruise forming on his left side. As he watched, small ridges formed under Armin's skin. Armin murmured something in his sleep and shifted, laying on his back.

Eren had seen plenty of pregnant women while going with his dad to see patients, but even then it was hard for him to gauge how "far along" Armin was. Eren hated to think of a parasite growing inside of his best friend as a pregnancy, but he couldn't think of anything else it could be comparable to. Armin certainly looked pregnant. His stomach stuck out from his small frame in a defined, round bulge, positioned below his belly button and pushing the waistband of his pants down slightly. If Eren had to guess he'd say Armin looked about five or six months along, but it occurred to Eren that Armin's belly might just be sticking out more from the lack of room in his abdomen. Armin was small, and probably didn't have enough space to accommodate much else besides his internal organs. It was no wonder he had been up several times during the night to go to the bathroom; the monster was squeezing him from the inside.

Still, despite the monster growing inside, Eren was curious to feel Armin's belly. He reached toward it cautiously, but hesitated.

"It isn't going to hurt you, you know." Mikasa said softly.

"It's him I'm worried about..." Eren said. He moved Armin's shirt slightly, exposing more of the pale skin of his belly. "I feel like just looking at it hurts him." He watched a small ridge appear below Armin's belly button, and he laid his hand on it curiously. Something nudged him, and he jerked his hand away, repulsed. Mikasa touched the spot lightly, feeling the titan.

"It certainly is active." She murmured. Eren moved his hand closer again, and Mikasa moved her hand to one side. Eren laid his palm on the highest part of the bulge, spreading out his fingers. Armin's belly was extremely firm, and very warm. He could feel the titan moving just slightly, a small twitch and movement of tiny limbs. Armin made a soft humming noise in his sleep and turned his head to one side, his breathing slow and even. Eren began rubbing his belly gently, hoping to ease some of the pain and discomfort Armin was feeling.

"I once saw him nearly get swallowed by a titan...I pulled him out of the mouth of one...And now...to think..." Eren ran his thumb over Armin's belly button, thinking.

"Eren." Mikasa rested her hand on top of his. "He'll be alright." Eren stared at her hand, his throat beginning to feel tight and tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

"If anything happens..." Eren swallowed down the lump in his throat. "If he turns into a Titan...I want him to eat me. And...if it...kills him...bring him back with my spinal fluid."

"Eren." Mikasa's grip on his hand tightened, becoming almost painful. "Don't say things like that." Her voice was quiet but had a sharp edge to it. "Armin will be fine."

"I'm sorry..." Eren whispered. Mikasa gripped his hand in both of hers, her hair covering her face.

"I can't lose either of you." She whispered, her voice shaking just slightly like she was about to cry. "I can't lose my family again..."

"Mikasa..." Tears welled up in his eyes. "No. No! You're right!" Eren gripped Mikasa's hands in both of his. "We're going to make sure he makes it!" Eren didn't realize how loud his voice had gotten.

* * *

Armin had been vaguely aware of the sound of familiar voices nearby for a while, but was too tired to completely rouse himself. He felt someone rub his belly for a little bit, and had been able to slip back into a deeper sleep for a few minutes, before the sound of Eren's voice woke him.

When he opened his eyes he saw Eren and Mikasa sitting on either side of him, holding hands over his exposed belly.

"Er...What are you two doing?" He asked. Eren quickly let go of Mikasa's hands.

"Nothing. Just checking to see if you're still asleep." Mikasa seemed to be blushing, and Armin could feel tension in the air. He looked at them and sat up slowly, wincing at his aching back and sore stomach. "How are you feeling?" Eren asked.

"My back really hurts..." Armin said, trying to stretch. "It feels like my hips are being pushed apart..."

"Want us to pop your back for you?" Eren asked. Armin tried to pop it himself by arching his back, but it hurt his stomach too much.

"Yeah..." He said. "But be careful."

"Okay...Um...lay down on your side..." Armin did as Eren instructed, laying down on his left side and facing the wall. "My dad showed me how to do this with...pregnant women...Push his hips forward and I'll pull his shoulders back." Armin lay still as Mikasa and Eren pushed and pulled, and felt several pops in his lower back.

"Better?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah." Armin sat up. His back still ached a bit but the pain wasn't as bad. He could sit up more comfortably now, despite the pain in his hips.

He looked up suddenly at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Come in." He called. Hanji strode in, looking cheerful and excited.

"Gooood morning!" Hanji grinned and walked over to the bed. "How are we feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright." Armin said, resting his hands on his swollen tummy.

"Good, good. Everyone else is downstairs, really chomping at the bit for an explanation. Are you ready to explain?" Armin nodded, starting to get up. "Wait." Hanji grabbed his shoulder. "Let me check you first." She pulled a stethoscope out of the pocket of her coat. "Just breathe normal." Hanji put the stethoscope to his chest for a few minutes. "You sound good." Hanji said. "Now lay down." Armin did as he was told, laying down on his back. Hanji pressed the stethoscope to his belly and waited, listening. After a few minutes she pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and tucked it away. "Strong heartbeat." She said.

"You can hear it's heartbeat?" Armin asked.

"Yep!" Hanji beamed and got that slightly crazy look in her eye she always got when she talked about titans. "Contrary to popular belief, titans do have hearts and functional circulatory systems." Armin looked down at his stomach, feeling confused and conflicted again. It might have been a titan inside him but it was still life. A living thing with a heartbeat. "Later, I want to get some blood samples. But for now, get dressed and meet us downstairs."

"Alright." Armin stood up slowly, heading over to the dresser. Hanji left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Uugh..." Eren groaned and flopped onto the bed. "It feels too early..." Armin nodded to himself in agreement. It did feel too early. His whole body felt heavy and exhausted. He yawned and got some clean clothes out of his dresser, wishing he could go back to sleep. But he needed to go downstairs and explain, and he needed to pee anyway.

Armin grabbed some clean clothes and changed into them quickly, finding it a bit difficult to button his pants and impossible to button his shirt past the top five buttons. He struggled a bit with the sixth, trying to pull his shirt closed, but it wasn't going to happen. Armin sighed and looked down at his stomach, feeling frustrated suddenly. He wished he had larger clothes to wear. He really didn't like the way his belly was hanging out. Armin opened another drawer of his dresser and rifled through it, looking for a larger shirt or a jacket he could wear. He slipped on a jacket and tried to button it, but the jacket was too small too. Brow furrowed, he tried to suck his stomach in so he could button the jacket, but his swollen stomach wasn't going anywhere. Armin gave a huff of impatience and put the jacket away in defeat.

"Alright, I'm ready." He muttered.

"Eren." Mikasa tossed a pillow at him.

"Yeah, yeah." Eren got up, his hair still messy and tousled from sleep. Armin headed toward the door, then stopped when the titan began moving. It moved toward the front of his body, pushing against his bladder uncomfortably and pushing his belly out more. The fifth button on his shirt suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. He unbuttoned it and held his stomach. "Think you can make it down the stairs?" Eren asked. "I don't know if it's safe. Otherwise, Mikasa could probably carry you." He smiled, joking. But Mikasa was looking at Armin expectantly, looking like she was ready to pick him up and carry him.

"I think I can make it." Armin said. He left the room and headed down the stairs, taking the steps slowly because he felt so off-balance. Armin stopped at the bottom to catch his breath, then made a quick stop at the bathroom before heading to the living room with Eren and Mikasa.

Levi's squad was settled on the two couches, and Levi was sitting in a chair near the fireplace, with Hanji perched on the arm. Everyone looked at Armin as he entered, and Armin wrapped his arms around his belly self-consciously, feeling their gaze focused on the protrusion.

"There you are, Armin." Hanji smiled at him as Armin settled down in the free chair, leaning back against the plush backrest. "I gave everyone a report of what's going on so far." Armin nodded, painfully aware of everyone staring at him. The air felt thick with anxiety and tension. Everything was silent and still.

Suddenly, Historia stood up from her place on the couch. She stepped toward Armin and stopped in front of his chair, looking at him with a sad and sympathetic expression. Armin looked at her questioningly, then stiffened in surprise when Historia threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. Armin sat back in shock, then hugged her back. Connie and Sasha bounded up and tackled him with hugs from both sides. Armin sniffed, feeling himself get teary again. He felt someone ruffle his hair and he looked up at Jean, wiping his eyes quickly.

"So, you having mood swings yet?" Jean asked.

"Any weird cravings?" Sasha asked.

"Does it move?" Conny watched his stomach. "Can we feel it?"

"Um..." Historia stepped back, and Armin looked around at them, overwhelmed with the questions. "I'm not sure...no...and yeah, it moves" Armin said, answering all of their questions at once. Historia crouched down in front of him, reaching toward his stomach. Armin straightened up a bit, inviting her to feel. Historia laid her hand on his belly, feeling around as the titan moved, nudging the unfamiliar touch.

"It doesn't feel aggressive at all..." Historia said, rubbing Armin's stomach.

"It isn't, really..." Armin insisted, feeling protective of the titan again. "It just hurts because it was growing so quickly." Jean frowned at him, crossing his arms.

"Well, we can't get attached to it." He said.

"I know..." Armin sighed.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." Armin craned his neck to see Hanji standing behind the chair, holding a muffin. "Here." She handed it to him. "I'll need to run some tests."

"What kind of tests?" Armin asked, nibbling on the muffin. He felt slightly light-headed, like he needed to eat something, but he felt nauseous too.

"Just some blood tests." Hanji said. Armin nodded, still working on the muffin. Sasha, Conny, and Jean headed into the kitchen to grab some breakfast, but Historia stayed behind, her hand still resting on Armin's tummy. She felt around a bit, then paused, looking confused.

"What?" Armin asked, concerned. Historia shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing." She stood, taking a few steps back. "Don't worry Armin. We're all going to help you." Armin watched her leave, disappearing into the kitchen.

Armin kept eating, then stopped and set his breakfast aside when his stomach began to feel hot. He leaned back and forced himself to stay relaxed as his belly swelled slightly. Armin let out a long breath when the heat began to fade, glad that the growth spurts were smaller and less painful.

"You okay?" Eren asked. Armin nodded.

"You look less...in pain." Hanji noted.

"I am." Armin smiled tiredly. The pain in his stomach had definitely decreased, but his hips were killing him and his lower back still hurt. He also felt extremely fatigued, and a bit warm.

"Let me take you back to the lab so I can get those blood samples. Then you can go back to reading and resting."

"Okay." Armin stood, holding onto the arm rest of the chair for a minute to keep from falling over from dizziness.

"Come on, Levi." Hanji turned toward Eren and Mikasa. "Want to come with?"

"Sure." Eren said. "Not like we have anything better to do."

The five of them headed to the room that served at Hanji's lab (which was surprisingly neat and tidy). Hanji grabbed some syringes off her desk and laid them on the bedside table, then pulled the blankets off of the neatly made bed and patted the mattress, inviting Armin to lay down. Armin did so, resting his head on the pillow. He was so tired he felt that if Hanji took longer than a few minutes he'd end up falling asleep right there. Mikasa and Eren stood by the foot of the bed, watching as Hanji rolled up Armin's sleeve and pressed around in the crook of Armin's elbow.

"Alright, first I'm going to draw some of your blood. Make a fist for me, please." Armin clenched his right fist. Hanji felt around a bit more with her fingers, then disinfected the area. She quickly stuck a needle in, filled the syringe with blood, and then pulled it back out. She laid a cotton ball on the spot. "There. Hold that to your arm for a couple of minutes." Armin nodded and held it to the spot. "Alright...now..." Hanji picked up a larger syringe off of the table. The needle was much longer and bigger around than the needle Hanji had put into his arm. "Hold him down, Levi."

"W-wait, what's that one for?" Armin watched Hanji nervously, trying not to panic when Levi grasped his shoulders to hold him still.

"You two grab his legs." Hanji told Eren and Mikasa. Mikasa gripped his ankles. Hanji felt around on Armin's stomach for a couple of minutes, disinfected an area just below his belly button, and quickly slid the needle in. It didn't hurt too badly at first, but as soon as the needle got close to the titan it began thrashing, causing more pain in his hips and back. Armin cried out in pain and arched his back. Hanji pushed down on his stomach hard enough to hold the titan in place while she drew some of it's blood. "There..." She pulled the needle out and laid it aside, and pressed a cotton ball to the spot on his stomach. "Sorry Armin. Had to be done." Armin nodded, feeling sick. Levi and Mikasa let go of him, and he rubbed his stomach, trying to calm the agitated titan. "All done." Hanji moved the needles to her desk and moved back to the bed. She could see the movement in Armin's belly. Hanji leaned toward Armin's belly and patted Armin's sides. "Shhh...shhh...you're okay little one." She crooned at the fetus and kissed Armin's belly. The titan finally settled, and Armin closed his eyes, relaxing.

"Don't act like it's a baby, Hanji." Levi said coldly, glaring at her. "It's not." Hanji straightened up and gave Levi a look, then moved to her desk.

"Alright, Armin, that's all I needed." Hanji said. "You can go rest now." Armin nodded and got up slowly. Hanji opened the door for them and waved them out, patting Armin on the back as he left.


	7. Chapter 7

Woohoo! An update within a week, I believe! Not sure if I can keep up with posting so quickly, but I'll try my best. I just started another college course so that may take up a lot of my spare time. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Also, some implied Levihan in here heh heh.

* * *

"What are you going to do with it once you get it out of him?" Levi was glaring at her, she could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head. Hange pushed her glasses up and rubbed her eyes, thinking. She turned toward Levi, who was standing by the bookcase with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at her.

"I don't know, Levi." Hange said. Levi went silent for a while, drumming his fingers on his upper arm.

"You're not keeping it." Levi said. "Whatever you do, you're not keeping it." Hange turned away from him, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and her face heating up with anger. What were they supposed to do with it? Take it away from Armin and just kill it? Hange shook her head. She wasn't even sure who had technical custody of the titan. It was growing inside of Armin, but Hange was sure the decision of what to do with it would ultimately come down to her or Erwin.

"It has made no attempt to consume him or hurt him. We know that for sure." Hange said. She put her glasses back into place and glanced at her notes again.

"Yeah, well what happens when it starts getting a taste for people?" Levi asked. "We can't take any risks. We have no idea how big it will get, or what it's behavior will be like. If the MP's were trying to get Eren eaten, then we have to assume it will start wanting human flesh." Hange grit her teeth. He was right, of course. She hated it when he was right about things like this. There were too many unknowns, and too much risk to everyone else.

"Levi, I understand our military training taught us to make fast decisions, but this is different!"

"How is it different."

"I just have a feeling!" Hange's voice cracked. Levi looked at her for a long time, his face expressionless. Hange glared back, staring him down. The room was utterly silent. They could hear Levi's squad talking and laughing in the living room through the thin walls.

After several minutes of glaring, Levi finally glanced away, looking at Hange's desk.

"Tch. _If_ he survives this, and _if_ the titan survives, I suppose you can keep it in the basement...If you keep it restrained. And if it isn't trying to eat us." Hange was getting angrier.

"You can't restrain a baby!" She spat.

"Sure you can. Just tie the damn thing down." Hange stepped toward him, glowering down at him.

"Oh, I suppose it's so easy to just treat everything like a monster, huh?" Hange raised her voice. "Not emotional attachments?!"

"It _is_ a monster!" Levi argued. Hange slammed her hands on her desk, losing her temper. She wanted to scream at him, make him see the kind of valuable information they could gain from such a rare test subject, but her sudden violence toward the table caused one of the syringes to roll. The large syringe rolled off the table and fell to the floor with a crash, shattering and spilling blood everywhere. "NO!" Hange shrieked and grabbed a cloth and a jar off the desk, kneeling down on the floor.

"This isn't one of your damned pets, Hange!" Levi yelled. "We don't know what it's capable of!"

"Shush!" Hange scrambled around, trying to scoop the blood into a jar. It didn't seem to be working very well, so she wiped the blood up with the cloth. She heard Levi mutter something, and her temper flared again. "I JUST DROPPED THE TITAN BLOOD LEVI, PLEASE STOP WHINING AND HELP ME BEFORE IT EVAPORATES!" Levi rolled his eyes and knelt down across from her, picking up the small glass jar. He pushed some of the blood into the jar, trying to avoid the shards of glass within the crimson liquid. "Uuugh!" Hange buried her face in her bloody hands. "It's RUINED! I'll have to get another sample and hurt Armin again and I can't take too much blood from the baby and..." Hange rambled on, trying not to break down and cry. She needed the sample. She _had_ to learn more and figure out what to do.

"Ow, fuck!" Levi muttered. Hange looked up. He was still crouched next to the puddle of blood, clutching his left hand.

"Did you cut yourself?" Hange asked. Levi cursed under his breath and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his hand quickly. "Did you?" Hange grabbed his hand. There was a cut across his palm, oozing blood. "How did you manage to do that?" Hange wondered aloud. She picked up a handkerchief from the floor. "Is this your blood or blood from the titan?" Hange asked.

"Both, probably." Levi picked up the jar he had scooped a bit of blood into. "Here." He handed it to her. "That's from the floor..." He got up and grabbed a cloth off of Hange's desk and began mopping up the puddle. Hange stepped right through it, making her way to her desk. She sat down and put the jar of blood in front of her, then realized something.

"Levi." Her eyes widened. "Levi, it's not evaporating." Levi looked up at her.

"You're positive that isn't Armin's blood?" He asked. Hange said nothing, picking up several dropper and two slides for her microscope. She smeared a drop of the titan blood on one, a drop of Armin's blood on the other, and compared the two. Levi got up. "Right, you do that. I'm gonna go wash this off..." He left, leaving Hange in peace for the moment.

Hange noticed that the two samples were very similar. She ran some tests, subjecting bits of both samples to certain chemicals to see the reactions. As time passed, she noticed some of the titan's blood begin to evaporate, but it was very slow. Much, much slower than a normal titan.

"Find anything interesting yet?" Levi had returned. He had a bandage on his hand and had completely cleaned the floor. Hange said nothing, scribbling down notes so fast her hand began cramping. "Hange?" Hange continued writing.

"It's titan blood. It's slowly evaporating..." She stopped writing and laid her pencil aside. "But...it's very similar to a human's."

"How similar?" Levi looked over her shoulder.

"Same reaction to certain chemicals that never worked on titan subjects." Hange said.

"What does it mean?" Levi asked. Hange stayed silent for a while, thinking. Her conclusion was insane, and needed more testing, but still. It was the only thing that made sense.

"I don't have any clear answers..." She began. "That would take months of extensive research and tests, but we don't have that time..." Hange pushed her glasses up and leaned back in her chair. "It's implying that it's part human." She turned to look at him. "I don't know if the serum was created that way, or if it's...binding with his DNA...what or how...but..."

"That's..." Levi shook his head.

"I have to keep them both alive." Hange said. "I won't know for sure until it's born." She propped her elbows on her desk and rested her head in her hands, feeling exhausted and drained again. She had only slept for a few hours the previous night, and being so anxious and worried was emotionally draining.

"You should get some rest, four-eyes." Levi said.

"But I need to check on him soon..." Hange said. She sighed. Her limbs felt heavy with exhaustion, and her stomach growled loudly with hunger.

"Hange." Levi rested his hands on her shoulders. "Go eat something and take a nap."

"Not...Hungry..." Hange murmured, nodding off. Her eyes drifted shut, and after a few minutes she felt Levi drape a blanket over her shoulders. Hange began to slip sideways out of her seat, and she jerked awake out of reflex.

"Ugh!" Hange shook her head. "Fine..." She got up and walked over to her bed, dragging the blanket with her. She flopped down face-first, burying her face into her pillow. "But only ten minutes..." She murmured. Levi laid down beside her, and she fell asleep in seconds.

* * *

The titan was squirming restlessly again, creating small ridges under the skin of Armin's belly. Armin was laying on the couch, his shoulders propped up with a pillow and his legs resting across Sasha's lap. Sasha was watching his stomach, munching on an apple from the plate of snacks resting on Armin's shins.

"Wonder if my stomach would do that if I ate a whole snake or lizard alive..." She wondered aloud.

"That probably isn't a good idea..." Armin grimaced uncomfortably as the titan continued squirming around.

"I would be tempted to try it for bragging rights alone." Conny piped up from his position on the other couch.

"I seriously doubt you two would _want_ something like that in you..." Jean shuddered. "No offense, Armin. It's just not very ideal, y'know?"

"Yeah..." Armin agreed. "And it's not very comfortable..."

"What does it feel like?" Conny asked. Armin rested his hands on his belly, trying to figure out how to explain the odd sensation of another being squirming and moving around inside your belly.

"Like something is squirming inside me..." Armin said. "Pushing around on my organs..."

"And when it grows?" Sasha asked, her mouth full of bread.

"It gets hot and then feels like it's squeezing me from the inside..It really hurts..." He said.

"Well, here, this may help." Historia had caught the end of his sentence on her way back from the kitchen. "Maybe this will make you feel better after that shot." She laid a warm washcloth on Armin's belly. Armin smiled. It did feel better.

"Thanks." He said, tilting his head back to look at her. Historia smiled at him apologetically and sighed.

"This is my fault..." She said.

"No, don't blame yourself." Armin said.

"But it was me they were after..." She said.

"Still..." Armin was going to say there was nothing they could have done to prevent what had happened, to assure her that it wasn't her fault, but the heat and pain in his stomach was kicking up again. The heat became so intense he cried out, hunching forward and holding his belly.

"Armin!" Historia came around to the front of the couch. Sasha quickly picked up her plate and set it aside before it could spill.

"Armin?" Eren knelt down beside him. Armin gasped as his belly swelled, pushing down the waistband of his pants and stretching his skin even more. The titan began squirming around frantically, pushing outward. Armin groaned and rolled onto his side, curling up in pain. The wet cloth slipped off of his belly.

"Oh...Armin, your um..." Historia prodded his belly button gently. Armin glanced down at his stomach and saw that his belly button was slowly surfacing, creating a small round knob poking out. He stared blankly, too exhausted and in too much pain to be surprised by much more. The titan calmed down, and the heat slowly backed off. Armin turned onto his back again and stretched his legs out across Sasha's thighs.

"Are you okay?" Sasha asked. Armin took a shallow breath.

"No." he said.

"I'll be right back..." Historia headed toward the door and hurried outside. Armin laid his head back and closed his eyes, exhausted. Historia came back after a few minutes, and laid something cold on his stomach. He looked up in surprise and saw a small chunk of ice on his stomach. "The stream outside is starting to freeze." Historia said. She laid a cloth over the ice and held it to Armin's stomach for him. Armin closed his eyes, relaxing. The ice was soothing against his stomach and was cooling him off.

"Armin..." Eren was still kneeling beside the couch. "How do you do it?"

"Not like he has a choice..." Jean muttered. Armin cracked his eyes open and looked at Eren briefly, then closed them again. His breathing was shallow and painful. The titan was pushing on his insides so much it was making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Do I need to get Hange?" Eren asked.

"No..." Armin said softly. "It's stopped growing for now..." He rested his hand on his stomach, and the titan pressed it's foot to his hand in an apologetic way. The titan shifted a bit, and he began to feel a tiny, rhythmic pulsing inside his belly. It showed even on the outside, and Historia pressed her ear to his belly curiously.

"It's...hiccuping..." Historia said. Armin looked up.

"What?" He asked. Sasha leaned over and pressed her ear to his belly too.

"It is..." She said, her eyes wide.

"What? No waaaaaaaay." Conny came closer. "You sure that's a titan?"

"Noooo Conny, of course not." Jean said sarcastically. "Armin just became the first pregnant man by magic." Eren shook his head.

"It just doesn't make sense...It's not acting like a titan at all." He said

"Except the heat." Sasha said.

"It's...gentle, usually..." Armin said, looking at his stomach with a torn expression. "It doesn't mean to hurt me..." Armin rested his hand on his belly, getting teary again.

"What's wrong?" Eren asked.

"Wh...what if it's...not a monster?" Armin asked, beginning to cry. It was growing quickly, of course, but it felt so human. What if Hange killed it because it was a titan?

"Hange and Levi know what they're doing." Jean said. "They'll figure out the best thing to do." Armin wiped his eyes.

"But...ngh..." The titan began squirming again, pushing upward and making it even harder to breathe.

"Armin..." Eren rested a hand on Armin's shoulder. Armin arched his back uncomfortably and then lay still, feeling miserable. The titan already felt too big, like it was going to split his stomach open. His hips were hurting from being pushed apart, and Armin suddenly wondered if he was going to end up with broken bones from all this. He was sweating from the titan making him too hot, and altogether felt so miserable he just wanted to cry some more.

"Sorry..." Armin whispered.

"Don't apologize." Eren looked distressed. "Armin, do you want to move to your room?" Armin nodded and sat up slowly. Sasha and Mikasa helped him up and helped him back to his room.

Armin stopped and leaned against Sasha while Mikasa arranged his pillows for him, then lay down. Mikasa had arranged some pillows to support his back and legs, and the position helped the pain in his hips.

"Better?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah..." Armin pulled a blanket up, feeling cold suddenly. "Better..." Eren brushed Armin's hair out of his eyes and felt his forehead. He frowned.

"You're too warm." Eren said. Mikasa touched Armin's cheek.

"Just a low fever..." She said.

"Armin, lose the blanket. You need to stay cool." Eren said. Armin looked at him wearily.

"Fine..." He sighed and pushed the blanket off. Armin closed his eyes and lay his head back, trying to sleep.

He was just beginning to doze off when Eren spoke again.

"It's hurting him, Mikasa." Eren said.

"She needs to take it out of him..." Mikasa agreed.

"Do you think it's killing him?" Eren asked. He sounded scared.

"It's dangerous, even if it's not trying to be." Sasha said. She sounded nervous and wary. Mikasa sighed, and Armin felt someone stroke his hair.

"I don't know how much longer he can keep this up..." She said.


	8. Chapter 8

There will be at least one more chapter after this, possibly two.

WARNING: CONTAINS BLOOD AND GORE.

: I actually feel really bad about putting Armin through this...Still though, hope you guys enjoy.

* * *

Three long, agonizing days passed. The titan continued growing, at a slower and slightly steadier pace instead of in large spurts. After the first day of steady growth Armin found himself missing the larger spurts. At least then he had breaks from the pain. But now the pain from the growth coupled with the pain from the sheer size of the titan was constant. As his belly grew, it became harder to stand and walk, and he became confined to his bed.

His belly was enormous now, and dominated his small figure. Despite how big his belly was though, Armin still insisted on wearing a shirt, even though he couldn't button it beyond the first two buttons. It made him feel more covered and secure. He felt most comfortable when he was under a mound of blankets, but Hanji and Eren insisted on keeping him uncovered because of the persistent fever he had.

The skin on his stomach felt horribly stretched and painful. Armin felt like if he even moved wrong the skin would completely split open. Dark bruises covered his right side where the titan had kicked him repeatedly. The titan was so large now it was very difficult for Armin to breathe. His breaths came in shallow gasps, and he felt like he was slowly being strangled to death.

"It's okay..." Hanji murmured, dabbing at his face with a damp cloth. "Just try to stay relaxed..." The titan kicked his side sharply, and he gasped in pain. Armin whimpered but stayed relaxed, feeling the titan trying to move downward. As it shifted, he began feeling another pain. It was similar to the pain of a muscle cramping, but so, so much worse. It felt like all of his abdominal muscles were contacting at once. He arched his back and shrieked; the pain was agonizing. Hanji leaned over and felt his stomach curiously, then straightened up, looking concerned. "Armin...don't move...I'll be right back..."

* * *

Hanji hurried downstairs quickly, entering the kitchen where everyone was eating lunch. Ignoring the curious and anxious glances of everyone else, she rushed to Levi and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I think he's started having contractions." She whispered.

"How the hell can he even..." Levi buried his face in his hand and sighed. "So...what? Get the knife?"

"Not yet." Hanji kept her voice low, not wanting to alarm the others. "The titan is going to try and move downward like it would in a normal pregnancy. There is no birth canal, of course, but the lower it is, the better. Means I can avoid vital organs. But he's in for a rough labor." Levi nodded silently and sipped his tea. Hanji stood, preparing to gather her surgical kit and some first aid supplies, then stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of an agonized shriek from Armin's room. Everyone froze.

"What the-?" Jean looked up at the ceiling. There was another shriek of pain, and Eren jumped up from his seat, looking panicked. Hanji pushed her glasses up nervously.

"O-okay everyone...nobody panic. Armin has...uh...essentially gone into labor, for lack of a better word..." Hanji looked at everyone, forcing herself to stay calm and think clearly. "Now, before I can get the titan out, I need it to go through with the labor, so just like we planned." Her tone turned serious and business-like suddenly. "Jean, get the towels. Historia, my tools. Mikasa, my medicine bag, Conny, two more gas lamps, Sasha, the med kit...Eren, come with us."

* * *

Armin whimpered, feeling the titan squirm and thrash inside him. His muscles contracted again, and he screamed. It was by far the worst pain he had ever felt in his entire life. The titan shifted downward slightly and kicked his side.

"Armin." Hanji brushed his hair out of his face and patted his cheek. Armin looked up to see Hanji and Eren leaning over him, his vision blurred with tears. "You're in labor, Armin. Are you ready to get this over with?" Armin nodded. His muscles contracted again, and he cried out. The titan moved downward again, but something felt off. The contraction ended, and he grabbed Hanji's arm, crying.

"Please...please take it out..." He sobbed. Something suddenly felt horribly wrong. The titan jerked sideways, kicking him so hard he felt one of his ribs snap. Armin gasped and went still, finding it almost impossible to breathe.

"I will." Hanji moved toward the end of the bed. "Hold on Armin. Breathe..." She yanked all the blankets off the bed to give herself a flat surface to lay supplies on and looked toward the door as people started rushing in. The room was a flurry of activity as Hanji barked orders at everyone, laid out supplies, and put the lamps into position to give herself more light. Eren sat down in the chair beside Armin's bed and gripped his hand. Armin squeezed it, the pain intensifying again. The titan was trying to move, but it was out of room and had nowhere to go. It thrashed again, it's movements jerky and painful. Armin could see little ridges on his skin from the titan's movements. It moved again, feeling like it was stretching.

There was a quiet ' _pop!'_ from inside his stomach, and Armin gasped. He felt something very hot suddenly spread through his abdomen, and he looked at Hanji, panicking.

"Hanji...the sack..." He said. Hanji's eyes widened.

"Oh..." She turned toward the door again, barking orders again. "GET THE TOWELS IN HERE! LAY THEM OUT! I NEED HOT WATER AND ANTI-SEPTIC, COME ON!" She tore open her medicine bag and filled two syringes with medicine, one that was supposed to numb pain and another that was going to slow down bleeding. She rolled Armin's sleeve up and injected both medicines quickly. "Levi, get the scalpel, we're doing this now!"

"Armin!" Eren grabbed his other hand. "Squeeze my hands, Armin. Don't look at what they're doing, just focus on my voice..." Armin looked up at him, feeling nauseous suddenly. He gripped Eren's hands and was suddenly blinded when Jean tied a strip of cloth over his eyes.

"Bite down on this!" Sasha said, shoving something into his mouth. Armin bit down, tasting leather.

"Alright...Someone get ready to catch." Hanji said. Armin heard the sound of someone dunking their hands into water, then moments later felt something ice cold on his belly. Armin squeezed Eren's hands and bit down on the belt harder, muffling a cry of pain as the titan stretched out again. It began pushing upward, stretching his skin so much Armin was sure he felt it finally split. It rested for a moment, then pushed outward even harder.

"What the-!?" Hanji swore loudly and began making an incision, but it was too late. The titan squirmed and continued pushing itself up. Armin felt a line of pain shoot up his stomach as his muscles tore apart, and he screamed against the belt. The titan went still for a second, then thrashed again and pushed up one more time.

There was a sickening ripping noise as Armin's abdomen was entirely torn open. Blood and fluid sprayed everyone, and Historia screamed from the other side of the room.

The room went quiet, silent other than the dripping of blood and the soft, gurgling breaths of an infant.

"Ar...min..." Eren ripped the blindfold off and squeezed Armin's hands. Armin saw blood all over Eren's face, and blood on the floor. Armin just stared at Eren, his vision going dark around the edges and a rushing noise filling his ears. He went limp, his hands slipping out of Eren's grip.

* * *

Levi wiped blood off of his face and surveyed the grim scene. There was Armin, unconscious on the bed with his stomach ripped open. Hanji standing at the end of the bed still, dumbstruck, with blood dripping over her glasses. And the rest of his squad, huddled near the head of the bed, several of them looking like they were going to be sick.

Hanji pulled her blood covered glasses off with a shaky hand and yelped. Armin's insides were just out in the open, the muscle and skin normally covering them torn apart. And nestled in with the organs in his pelvis was a baby, covered in blood and looking like it was struggling to breathe.

Hanji pulled her glasses back down quickly, wiped them with a towel, and picked the baby up. She hit it's back a few times, and then infant began coughing, spewing out some sort of clear fluid tinged with blood. The baby finally filled it's lungs with air and began to cry. Hanji plopped the baby into Levi's arms and immediately went to work on Armin, pulling out the destroyed sack the baby had grown in and pushing his organs back into place.

"You..." Eren got up slowly, shaking. "You said you could help him..." Eren stepped toward Hanji and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "YOU SAID HE WOULD BE OKAY!" Hanji continued her work, trying to ignore Eren shaking her.

"Eren, stop!" Mikasa wrapped his arms around him and pulled him back. "Just stop..."

"You said...you said..." Eren choked on his words. Hanji remained silent, inspecting Armin's muscles and abdominal wall and disinfecting them before beginning to close him up.

"Levi. Get everyone out of here." Hanji said, not even looking up.

"What?!" Eren tried to move toward her again, but Mikasa held him back.

"We aren't leaving!" Jean said.

"OUT." Hanji said, shooting them a glare before continuing her work. No one moved. Hanji glanced at Levi for a moment, her eyes pleading him to get them to leave.

"You heard her." Levi said. "All of you brats get out of here." Still, no one moved. Levi glared at all of them. "Dammit, LEAVE." He ordered.

Everyone finally trailed out slowly, and Levi closed the door behind them.

"You too, Levi." Hanji said. Levi looked at her, then nodded and left too. He closed the bedroom door and paused in the hallway, looking down at the infant in his arms. It squirmed and looked up at him. It had wide blue eyes and a patch of light-colored hair that stuck to its head from the fluid and blood it was covered in. Levi noticed that it had a mouthful of baby teeth already, which made it creepy-looking. The baby stared up at him, then flailed it arms and started crying again.

"Oh, hush." He murmured, carrying the baby down to the kitchen. The baby hiccuped and quieted, then reached for his cravat. "Tch." Levi grabbed it's tiny hand. "No." The baby cooed and wrapped its hand around his thumb.

Levi entered the kitchen and carried the baby over to the sink. He shifted the baby to one arm, plugged the drain of the basin, and began filling the sink with water so he could wash the blood off of the infant. He filled the bottom of the sink, unwrapped the baby, and placed it upright in the corner so it was supported. He began rinsing the baby off, and the baby just watched him, seeming completely unconcerned by the water. He washed the blood out of its hair and was beginning to clean the baby's torso when he noticed something.

Levi had been expecting the infant to be very titan-like, and, therefore, lacking any sexual organs. But as he cleaned it he saw that it had nipples. Slightly taken aback, he moved the baby's legs apart and was shocked to see that the baby they had assumed was more titan than human was clearly a baby girl.

The baby stared up at him, her eyes wide and curious. She looked focused, understanding what she was looking at. She wasn't a mindless titan at all. Not exactly a baby. Her teeth, focused gaze, and expressive face were very...not human. But at the same time, she was just human enough to appear like a normal baby.

"Huh..." Levi continued bathing her. "You'd better be watch out. Four-eyes will definitely want to study you..."


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, got this chapter done pretty quickly! There will be one more to come. Thanks again for the feedback and support. I've really enjoyed writing this.

* * *

Levi's squad had gathered in the living room, quiet with shock over what the had just witnessed. They all had blood splattered on them, but none of them had gone to change. Historia was huddled up on the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes still wide with horror. Conny was crouched on the floor, vomiting into a bucket while Sasha patted his back silently, her gaze fixed on the wall opposite her.

"He...he exploded!" Conny gagged. "He just exploded!"

"She said she would help him..." Eren muttered. He sat on the couch next to Historia, his face buried in his hands.

"She didn't know..." Mikasa said quietly. She was seated next to him, her expression blank. Eren looked up suddenly.

"Where is the titan?" He asked.

"Levi took it..." Mikasa said, looking toward the kitchen. Eren nodded and got up, heading to the kitchen. He opened the door and saw Levi sitting at the table, a small bundle in his arms. Eren didn't dare look at it. He didn't want to see the monster that had probably just killed his best friend. Eren picked up a knife off the kitchen counter and stepped toward the table.

"Captain?"

"What." Levi looked up at him. His clothes were bloody too.

"Our mission is to free people from the titans, right?" Eren asked, raising the knife.

"Eren, put the knife down." Levi said flatly.

"That thing needs to be put down." Eren said, glaring. He finally spared a glance at the monster and saw that it was sleeping, it's thumb in its mouth.

"Eren, look at it." Levi moved the clean towel it was wrapped in aside just slightly, showing Eren the tufts of blonde hair and human-like appearance it had. "Whatever the hell this thing is, it's not a titan." Eren glanced at it, then looked back at Levi.

"I don't want to look at it...its...it burst out of him...it's not..."

"It has half of his DNA." Levi said, shifting the baby slightly. The baby stirred, opening large blue eyes sleepily. Eren looked at it, and the resemblance hit him like a punch in the gut. The round cheeks, blonde hair, wide eyes, and slightly squashed-looking nose were exactly like Armin. But there was something about it that seemed just slightly different. The eye color seemed slightly off, and the lips looked a bit different too, a bit more defined. The baby opened it's mouth, and Eren saw a set of sharp-looking teeth. He raised the knife again. It might look like Armin, but it was still a monster. Levi glared at him. "It hasn't hurt anyone with malicious intent. It has no interest in feeding. So for now just leave it be. I'm sure crazy glasses will want to study it."

"AND WHAT ABOU ARMIN?!" Eren burst out, his grip tightening on the knife. Levi sighed.

"I don't know, Eren." He said. Eren stepped closer, aiming the knife at the tiny monster in Levi's arms. "Eren, for fuck's sake. Leave it alone." Levi wrapped the monster back up. "I will not hesitate to break some of your bones."

"But, captain-" Eren began to argue. Levi pushed his chair back and was on his feet in seconds. He took a step back, and, still holding the baby, kicked Eren so hard in the stomach he sent him flying into the wall.

"I SAID LEAVE IT ALONE." He shouted. Eren's head smacked against a shelf, and he saw stars for a moment. A few dishes fell to the floor with a loud crash.

"Eren!" Mikasa rushed in. Eren groaned and rolled onto his side, clutching his stomach. The baby started crying loudly, it's wails filling the kitchen. Eren glanced up to see Mikasa stepping toward Levi, looking furious. "You...!"

"You want him to kill it? Huh?" Levi was glaring at Mikasa.

"Before...it kills us..." Eren groaned, trying to catch his breath.

"It's not gonna kill anyone." Levi said. He sat back down in the chair he had previously occupied and rocked the crying titan. "Hush, you." He muttered to it. Eren sat up. He couldn't believe it. Levi had just attacked him for trying to kill a titan, humanities greatest enemy. Mikasa knelt down next to him, checking to see if he was okay. Eren rubbed the back of his head, feeling a cut that was oozing blood. He hadn't noticed it before, too stunned to feel it. As soon as he felt it the cut started steaming, healing up quickly.

Eren turned his attention back to the titan, which had quieted down. It was curled up against Levi's stomach, sucking it's thumb again. It did seem harmless. It wasn't hurting anyone now...and maybe it didn't even mean to hurt Armin...

Eren watched the infant for a while, feeling confused and conflicted. He looked up when someone entered the kitchen, and jumped to his feet when he saw that it was Hanji.

"So?" Levi asked her.

"He's alive." Hanji collapsed into a chair next to Levi. She looked completely drained and was covered in more blood than anyone else. "The split was clean...minimal organ damage...the heat seems to have cauterized any major blood vessels...Blood loss was stopped but he lost so much..." Levi nodded, continuing to rock the baby.

"Will he be alright?" Mikasa asked.

"If he wakes up..." Hanji said.

"We have to go see him." Mikasa said.

"You can." Hanji said. "I cleaned up...for the most part...You don't know "hard" until you try to change bedsheets with someone laying on them..." She pressed her hands to her stomach. "I've seen enough gore to last several lifetimes...but nothing prepared me for _that..._ " She was rambling in her exhaustion, and in shock over what she had just seen. Eren didn't want to dwell on the scene.

"Let's go see him." Mikasa said, tugging on his sleeve. Eren nodded and followed her out into the living room.

"Is he okay?" Jean asked them.

"Can we go see him?" Sasha asked. Mikasa nodded, hurrying up the stairs with everyone. Eren got to the room first, immediately reaching for the knob. He opened the door and walked inside quietly.

The room smelled strongly of blood, and there was a pile of bunched up sheets and towels by the door. The light fabrics had splashes of crimson on them, bright in some places and darker in others. Eren tore his gaze away from the bloody linens and hurried to the bed, dropping to his knees next to it and reaching for Armin's hand.

"Armin..." He murmured. Armin was very pale, and covered with a blanket. Eren touched his bare shoulder, relief and dozens of other emotions flooding through him. Armin felt very cold, but Eren could hear him breathing softly. His stomach was flat again, and his expression was peaceful. Eren moved his blankets aside and held Armin's cold hand, feeling relieved and worried and upset.

"He's okay..." Mikasa sounded relieved and slightly choked up. She stroked Armin's messy, uncombed hair.

"Well..." Jean sighed. "I guess we're the proud godparent's of a titan now..." Eren sighed, laying his head on the edge of the bed. Armin was okay. That was all that mattered. He would worry about the titan later. He squeezed Armin's hand lightly, and he felt Armin's fingers twitch.

* * *

"Can I see it?" Hanji looked at Levi. Levi nodded. He turned the baby toward her and unwrapped it. Hanji gasped. "Not an "it"...a "her"..." She picked the baby up, cradling her in her arms. "Hey there, little one..." Hanji patted the baby's fluffy hair. She looked up at her curiously, her gaze fixed on Hanji's face. The baby stared, then cooed softly and reached up toward her. "Oooh you are precious..." Hanji smiled warmly, cradling the baby higher. She grabbed at Hanji's bangs, her tiny hands grasping at Hanji's greasy hair. "Sex organs, total awareness of others...You're not much of a titan..." Hanji mused. The baby's blue eyes widened, and she squealed happily, tugging on Hanji's hair. Hanji smiled, snuggling her. "Levi, what _is_ this? What is she?" Levi just shrugged, watching as the baby began sucking her thumb again.

Hanji watched, fascinated. She couldn't help but think about how perfect of a test subject she had now. They could learn so much more about titans now. Hanji grinned and smoothed the baby's hair down. She could begin small tests right away. Mostly observation until she grew a bit bigger. Questions were already buzzing in Hanji's head. Did she need to eat? Did she have a complete GI tract? Would she sleep? Would she be able to talk?

"I don't really give a shit about what it is, as long as it's not trying to eat us." Levi said, watching the baby.

"She." Hanji corrected. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. As long as _she_ isn't trying to eat us."

"Stop worrying." Hanji reached toward the baby's hands. "She seems harmless."


	10. Chapter 10

Last chapter! So excited I've gotten this finished. There is a possibility of continuation (I have more notes written out for it for a part two or future chapters), but I think I'll be taking a bit of a break from this and working on another project. So for now, I hope you enjoy the final chapter of this. :)

* * *

Several days passed. Armin had started waking up after about a day, but after he had accidentally ripped one of his stitches Hanji decided to keep him sedated with medicine for a few days to let him heal. She had decided it was the best course of action for him, to give his body some stress-free time to heal and replenish all the blood he had lost.

In the meantime, Hanji studied the baby. She was growing at a very fast pace, and learning quickly. After only a few days she already looked several months old. She wasn't very vocal, and didn't cry much. Hanji had tried to get her to drink milk or taste mashed-up vegetables, but she seemed uninterested in food. And since her lack of eating seemed to have no effect on her growth, Hanji stopped trying to feed her for the time being. Interestingly, she did sleep, but only at night. She wasn't a napper and would always wake up as soon as the sun came up.

Still though, Hanji had only had a few days to study her behavior. She wished she could devote more time and attention to studying the infant, but she still needed to take care of Armin, and she herself still needed time to eat and sleep. So, to make sure she didn't completely overwork herself, Levi had started assigning members of his squad to babysitting duty on top of the usual chores and watch shifts.

Everyone was still extremely wary of the baby, especially Eren, who flat-out refused to look at or touch her. Eren had stayed by Armin's side as much as possible, and Mikasa had picked up the slack in his chores or watching the baby. She didn't mind the baby as much as he did, and even sewed her a couple of dresses with Historia's help so she wouldn't be naked.

On the afternoon of the fourth day after her birth, Hanji was sound asleep in her room. She had had so many nights with very little sleep, and she was exhausted. Levi was in her room, cleaning and keeping an eye on the baby while she played with a wooden spoon on the floor. She was biting it, gnawing on the handle with her eyes fixed on Levi, watching him folding and putting away some of Hanji's laundry. He hadn't even gotten to the bottom of the pile of clean clothes when there was a soft knock at the door. Levi answered it, opening the door just a crack. He found himself looking up at Eren, who looked nervous and worried.

"What?"

"Um...Armin's awake...he's asking for Hanji and the ti-..the baby..." Eren said. Levi glanced back toward Hanji, who was still sound asleep and drooling a bit onto her pillow. "Please?" Levi sighed and walked to the bed.

"Oi. Four-eyes." He shook her shoulder.

"Hmm?" Hanji looked up sleepily.

"He's awake."

"Oh!" Hanji scrambled out of bed, quickly shoving on her glasses and scooping up the baby.

* * *

Armin felt pain. He felt like his whole body had been ripped open, flung around like a rag doll, and then drowned. Every breath hurt like fire in his lungs, and there was a sharp pain in his side as well. His stomach hurt and his insides ached. He wanted to scream but he felt like he was trapped in some sort of limbo where everything was dark and heavy.

He was often aware of people around him. He felt warm hands touching him, moving his blankets, tipping water and warm broth into his mouth, and on a couple of occasions giving him a sponge bath and changing his clothes. Armin heard them talking sometimes, commenting that he was looking better or that his wound was healing.

After what felt like ages of being stuck in the darkness, it began to lighten. He began hearing voices more clearly, making out Mikasa and Eren talking softly nearby.

"He's doing better already, Eren. Relax." It sounded like Mikasa was leaning over him. Armin felt something cold against his lips, and moments later felt cool water trickling into his mouth. He swallowed, feeling thirsty. Before his thirst was sated, though, the cup was taken away. Armin stirred slightly, trying to lift his arm. Pain shot through his right side, and his breath caught in his throat. He lay still, struggling to open his eyes.

"Armin?" Eren sounded like he was right next to him. "What's the matter? Are you cold?" A warm, calloused hand touched his cheek. Armin groaned, trying to speak. He felt the weight of another blanket on top of him, and felt Eren tuck it around him. Armin sighed. He _was_ cold, but he was thirsty too. He fought against the sleepiness and darkness, trying to force his heavy eyelids to open.

"Mmh...wa..." Armin mumbled tiredly. "Wa...ter..."

"Huh?" Eren leaned closer. "Water? Are you thirsty?"

"Mmh...hmm..." Armin turned his head, finally blinking and squinting against the light hitting his eyes.

"Okay..." In seconds he felt something cold against his lips again, and felt water trickling into his mouth a little faster. He swallowed it quickly, drinking until Eren pulled the cup away. "Better?" Armin made a small noise in the back of his throat, nodding slowly. He opened his eyes further, seeing Eren and Mikasa leaning over him. "Armin?" Eren watched him, worried. Armin looked at him, then glanced down at his belly. It was flat again, but it hurt so badly.

"Wh...ere's...?" Armin looked around.

"Armin, you're finally awake!" Eren grinned, looking relieved. Mikasa cracked a small smile and gripped his hand.

"Hey guys..." Armin murmured.

"You scared the hell out of us." Eren said.

"How long...?" Armin tried to sit up. "Where's...?" Pain lanced through his stomach, and he lay back, gasping.

"Don't sit up." Eren held his shoulders. "You were out for a few days."

"Ouch..." Armin pushed his blankets back, resting his hand on his painful stomach. Eren looked at his stomach, worried.

"You...the titan...um..." He looked away, looking upset. Curious, Armin lifted his shirt up. He froze. There was a huge, partially healed wound running from underneath the waistband of his pants, up through his belly button, and halfway up his stomach. It was stitched up neatly, but it was red and swollen and slightly jagged higher up.

"Oh my..." Armin ran his fingers over the wound, shocked. No wonder he hurt so badly. "What happened?"

"It...Well, she..." Mikasa started.

"She?" Armin asked.

"The baby...she's...not exactly a titan..." Mikasa explained. "But she ripped you open before Hanji could get her out."

"'Her'? It's...a girl? But..." Armin was confused.

"Hanji said she's half human." Mikasa said.

"Half..." Armin pulled his shirt down and lay his head back. "Can I see her?"

"Yeah..." Eren got up. "I'll go get Hanji too..." Armin nodded, watching Eren leave the room.

"Armin..." Mikasa was watching him. "Do you want to sit up and try to eat something? Hanji's really worried because you've lost a lot of weight..."

"Yeah..." Armin looked at her. She pulled him up into a sitting position, letting him lean against her while she arranged some pillows he could lean against. Mikasa scooted him toward the head of the bed and leaned him back against the pillows. The new position hurt his stomach, but it made his back feel better.

"I'll go get you something. I'll be right back, okay?" Armin nodded. Mikasa pulled the blankets up over his legs and tucked them around his waist, then left the room quickly. She returned in a few minutes, carrying a tray with a bowl and a plate on it. "Jean and Sasha just finished making lunch." Mikasa said, laying the tray across his knees. It had just a plate of bread and a small bowl of steaming broth on it.

"Thanks." Armin picked up the roll and nibbled on it, feeling hungry but nauseous at the same time. He dipped it in the broth to make it a little softer, and had eaten about half of it when he heard footsteps approaching. Armin looked up and saw Hanji, Levi, and Eren enter the room. Hanji was holding a baby, and Armin stared in shock.

She was very pale, with large blue eyes and blonde hair that was sticking up at every angle. She was wearing a simple dress made out of light yellow fabric, and biting at a wooden spoon she was holding. Armin was shocked to see her small teeth, and the fact that she looked several months old. Hadn't Eren said he'd only been out for a few days?

"Hey Armin..." Hanji smiled and approached the bed.

"Hi..." He watched the baby, feeling an overwhelming rush of emotion. Mikasa moved the tray of food out of the way, and Hanji carefully placed the baby in his arms. "She..." Armin smiled, his eyes brimming with tears. This was his baby, his own flesh and blood.

"She's your daughter, Armin..." Hanji said. Armin nodded, stroking the baby's fluffy hair. "She's half titan, and half...well, your DNA." Armin nodded, still watching the baby. She smiled at him, cooing softly past the spoon in her mouth.

"She...doesn't seem...dangerous..." Armin said.

"She's shown no signs of aggression." Hanji said. "However, she doesn't eat. And really likes sunlight. She does sleep." Hanji adjusted her glasses, thinking. "We haven't exactly tested to see if she regenerates yet."

"So, um...does that mean..." Armin looked at Hanji, who looked at him questioningly. "I can keep her...right?" Armin held the baby in his arms, worried. Hanji said she had shown no signs of aggression, but she had still hurt him pretty badly. What if they decided she needed to be put down, just in case? The Garrison was going to kill Eren for being a Shifter, after all, because they didn't understand. They had no idea what the baby was or what she was capable of...what if Erwin decided it was safer to lock her away, or kill her?

"Yes...you can keep her." Hanji said, watching the baby. "But, we need to keep a close eye on her behavior and growth." Armin nodded, smiling widely. He felt unbelievably happy. For the first time since his parents' and then grandpa's deaths felt oddly whole, like he had a family again. "What are you going to name her?" Hanji asked, sitting down in the chair next to Armin's bed.

"Lenya." Armin said, looking at the baby's blonde hair and wide blue eyes. Hanji nodded.

"That's perfect..." She said. Armin smiled, holding Lenya to his chest. She watched him happily, letting go of her spoon to grab at Armin's hair. It was really in need of a trim, almost touching his shoulders and tickling his eyelids. Armin leaned back comfortably, cradling her and smiling. Armin felt pain, but he felt like the smiling baby in his arms was worth it.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everyone! I said I would continue it, and I finally am! I have enough material right now for a few chapters, but I'm hesitant to really make any posting schedule promises right now. I'm busy with school as usual and am currently dealing with a lot of health issues. It feels good to finally be working on this again, though. :) Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

"Think he will have an appetite today?" Hanji asked. She and Levi were in the kitchen, Hanji stirring some soup and Levi washing some bread pans, grumbling about the burnt on bits in them and about how he wouldn't assign Eren kitchen duty again until he could pull his head out of his ass long enough to focus on a task for five minutes.

"I sure as hell wouldn't if I'd been ripped open like that." Levi said, responding to her question.

"Count your blessings. Could have just as easily been you."

"Tch." Levi rinsed a pan clean and started scrubbing another. "Had a chance to do any testing on the baby yet?"

"Well, she does regenerate…But slower than other titans. She doesn't need to eat. She really likes sunshine. She seems to sleep, but it's more of a total relaxed state than actual unconsciousness." Hanji added a bit of salt to the soup and continued. "Outwardly, her reproductive organs are there, but how developed and usable they are I have no idea. I'm still hesitant to test if she is aggressive…not with Armin still healing."

"She seems to be growing fast…Really fast…" Levi said, rinsing the soap off of another pan.

"Yes…Though I think it's starting to slow down."

"How's the soup coming?" Levi asked, setting the clean pans aside to dry. He then crossed the room and stopped at the stretch of counter next to the stove, getting a tray ready.

"Uh…it's been bubbling for twenty minutes now…I think that's what it's supposed to do." Hanji said, watching the pot of soup uncertainly. Levi took the spoon from her and stirred, fishing out a piece of carrot.

"You have to check the vegetables. If they're soft then it's done." Levi blew on the carrot briefly to cool it, then popped it into his mouth. Satisfied that it was cooked through, he got a bowl and ladle.

"Oh, so it's done…Got it." Hanji said, getting a glass and filling it with water. They got the rest of the tray ready, then headed up to Armin's room.

The rest of the house was a flurry of activity, even with Sasha and Conny currently in town buying food and other supplies. Jean and Eren were cleaning downstairs (currently bickering with each other while scrubbing the bathroom), and Mikasa and Historia were in the living room washing clothes. Lenya was with them, sitting on the floor in front of the washtub and poking at the soap suds in fascination.

Upstairs was much quieter, and clean from the day before. Armin's door was closed, which was fairly typical as of late since he spent quite a bit of time sleeping.

* * *

The past few days had passed quickly for Armin. Since initially waking up he'd slept a lot, and tried to be with Lenya as much as possible. He hated how little he'd been able to do during his recovery. Lenya was growing at an immense pace, and Armin was guilty that he'd already missed a majority of her infant phase.

He was currently in bed, half-asleep and loosely holding a book in his lap. He'd dozed off while reading again, and couldn't seem to rouse himself despite remaining somewhat aware of his surroundings. He heard when someone came into his room, and felt someone take the book from his hands. Armin finally opened his eyes when someone opened the curtains a bit to let in more light.

"Ugh…" Armin rubbed his eyes, straightening up a bit.

"Good afternoon, Armin." Hanji said, approaching the bed to check on him. Armin was going to ask what time it was when Levi laid a tray across his lap.

"Here." He said, pushing a bowl of soup closer to Armin. "You need to eat." Armin looked at the tray tiredly, feeling half-asleep.

"Do you want to just try a little bit of broth?" Hanji asked, looking worried. Armin continued staring at his lunch. The soup and bread looked fine, but food hadn't been very appetizing to him lately. He was nauseated almost constantly and had trouble keeping anything more than liquids down. He picked up the spoon anyway though, knowing that he at least needed to try and eat. "Don't push yourself." Hanji reminded him. "If it makes you sick, you don't have to finish." Armin nodded tiredly, sipping on the broth and trying a few pieces of potato.

"Where's Lenya?" Armin asked, picking up the bread.

"With Mikasa." Levi said. "Do you want her up here?"

"Yes, please." Armin said, tearing at the crust of the bread as Levi exited. He nibbled on tiny pieces of it, eating slowly so he wouldn't make himself sick.

"How do you feel?" Hanji asked, watching him eat. Armin sighed, picking at his bread anxiously.

"Not very good…I feel sick…my stitches hurt…I can barely walk…I'm not going to be able to use ODM gear for a while…" Armin continued picking at the bread, tearing it into tiny pieces and feeling like he might cry. "I just feel more useless than before and now I have a baby to look after…"

"Armin…" Hanji sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Hey, I thought we talked about this."

"I know…" Armin sniffed and nibbled on some of the soft insides of the bread.

"You are healing up very well." Hanji said, "If anything, I would say the baby has given you a sense of purpose like no other. Even over joining the Corps. And there is nothing wrong with that." Armin sighed but nodded in agreement. She was right, of course. Looking after a baby he was in no way prepared for was beyond stressful, and exhausting on top of healing from his injuries, but she did give him a new sense of purpose…He was a parent, and his daughter brought him a sort of joy he had never experienced before.

His anxiety eased a bit, Armin returned to his lunch, eating the soft insides of the bread roll. Hanji patted him on the shoulder and stood, crossing the room and peeking out the doorway when they both heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Ah, there she is!" Hanji squealed, stepping back when Levi entered with Lenya. Lenya made a soft squealing noise in response, squirming in Levi's arms. "Hello, precious." Hanji grinned, taking the baby from Levi and kissing her on the forehead. Lenya laid against her shoulder, sucking her thumb and looking at Armin.

Lenya looked like a toddler now, and had been walking and babbling a lot. Her hair was almost to her shoulders, blonde, fluffy, and stuck up in every direction. Her icy blue eyes were always wide and watching, taking in everything around her. Currently, she was wearing a tan dress Mikasa made out of one of Eren's old shirts.

"Da?" Lenya removed her thumb from her mouth and reached for him, kicking Hanji's chest lightly. Hanji smiled and sat her down on the bed next to Armin, scooting the tray of food out of the way.

"Hi, little one…" Armin said, reaching for her. She crawled into his lap and laid against his side, sucking her thumb again.

"She looks just like you, Armin." Hanji said, ruffling her hair.

"Yeah, she does…" Armin smiled, watching Lenya grab at the buttons on his shirt with her free hand. "It'll be like looking into a mirror when she gets older…" Hanji smoothed the baby's hair, then looked up at Armin, her smiled fading.

"Armin…we've been trying to figure out the safest thing to do for you and her…It's dangerous to keep her here forever…but it's dangerous to send her to the city too…"

"I know…" Armin said, holding his daughter close. He had been stressed over the same thing.

"Unless…" Hanji hesitated, watching them.

"Unless what?" Armin asked.

"Unless she becomes and asset to us. Like Eren." Hanji frowned slightly, looking torn. Armin shifted Lenya into his arms, letting her lay against his chest, thinking.

"But she's so young…even with how fast she's growing…And it would be dangerous…" Armin sighed and laid his head back, feeling anxious again.

"Not if we train her…" Hanji pressed. "She's already very intelligent." Armin said nothing, holding Lenya protectively. She could be a very good asset to them, but at the same time, Armin didn't want his daughter to be used as a weapon like that. He felt overwhelmed, and his stomach was churning from the small amount he had eaten for lunch. Lenya seemed to sense his discomfort, shifting in his arms and wrapping her small arms around his neck. Upon moving, though, her foot nudged the top few stitches in Armin's belly, causing him to wince.

"Careful." He murmured, stroking her hair.

"Erwin already gave us the go-ahead." Hanji said. "He also suggested having Eren as moral support. Being a Titan Shifter, they have a little bit in common…and she will understand from an early age that she can help." Armin stayed silent for a while, then nodded. If Erwin had already given a go-ahead he knew it would be pointless to argue. He didn't have the energy to anyway.

"What do you think about that, huh?" Armin looked at Lenya. "Being part of the Survey Corps?" Lenya stared up at him blankly for a moment, then squealed and clapped her hands excitedly.

"Awwww!" Hanji squealed. Levi rolled his eyes, watching them with an annoyed expression from over by the door. Armin set Lenya down on the bed next to him, sitting up a little and sipping on some water. Lenya started crawling toward the nightstand. Hanji scooped her up and sat down on the end of the bed before she could knock over the pile of books precariously placed on the edge. "So what were you reading?"

"Uh…" Armin looked at the stack of books. "Mostly childhood development books…" He looked toward Lenya, watching as grabbed the buttons on Hanji's shirt and put one in her mouth. She still had very little interest in food, but loved to put all kinds of things in her mouth. Armin had caught her chewing on socks, books, and kitchen utensils, then nearly had a heart attack when she toddled into his room that morning with the handle of a dagger in her mouth. "It's hard to keep track of milestones since she's growing so fast, but she's trying to talk more now."

"Oh, has she said anything?" Hanji asked.

"Not really. Just babbling." Armin looked toward Lenya again. "Lenya, can you say 'daddy'?" Lenya looked up, still chewing on Hanji's button.

"Daa?" She said.

"We're getting there…" Armin said. He looked toward the door when he heard someone approaching, and saw Eren stop in the doorway carrying a bunch of cleaning supplies.

"Eehn!" Lenya bounced in Hanji's lap, looking excited. Eren smiled at her briefly, then turned his attention to Levi.

"Captain, Jean and I finished downstairs."

"Finished already?" Levi asked. "I'll go check." He left the room, heading downstairs. Eren set down his cleaning supplies and approached Armin.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm okay." Armin said, forcing a smile.

"You look a lot better." Eren said. "Still like crap…but less crap than before." Armin nodded, watching Lenya crawl over his legs and back onto his lap. She grabbed at the hem of his shirt and put it in her mouth, staring at the light green fabric.

"Looks fine, other than Hanji's room." Levi said, coming back into the room after his brief inspection of the downstairs. "But her room will always look like shit anyway." Lenya giggled and started trying to talk past the fabric in her mouth.

"Shh…shhi…shit." She said. Everyone stared. Lenya looked up at Armin, her eyes wide and innocent. Armin groaned and face-palmed. She was finally saying a real word and it was a swear word.

"Levi look what you did." Hanji said, looking like she was fighting back a laugh.

"Oops." Levi said.

"Lenya, that's a bad word. Don't say that." Armin said.

"Ehh?" Lenya looked confused. Eren put his hand over his mouth, trying not to bust up laughing. Armin sighed, shifting so that he was laying back again. He felt sleepy again, physically and emotionally exhausted. Armin really wanted to sleep, but Lenya seemed to have other ideas. She crawled up further on his lap, patting his stomach roughly.

"Ow…" Armin took her hands gently. "Be careful…" Hanji scooped her up.

"Alright kid, and younger kid, I think you both need a nap." Lenya whined and reached for Armin, looking teary as Eren helped Armin lay down flat.

"Da." Lenya whined, struggling to get closer to Armin. She finally calmed down when Hanji set her down next to Armin, and snuggled up to him.

"Before I forget, I'm going to take a peek at your stitches before we leave…" Hanji said, lifting his shirt up a bit. Armin looked down at his belly, wanting to see how the incision was healing. It looked alright overall, except for a couple of stitches near the top. The looked like they had been pulled, and the incision in that area was inflamed and oozing blood. Armin sighed and laid his head back. "Well, it's looking a little better…" Hanji murmured, pulling out a handkerchief. Lenya watched her, then sat up suddenly. She was staring at the blood, and grabbed at Armin's incision suddenly, pulling a stitch. Armin gasped in pain and pushed her hand away.

"No, Lenya." He said sternly.

"Don't do that, sweetie, it hurts your daddy." Hanji said, pulling Armin's shirt back down. Lenya whined, squirming and trying to get at the incision again.

"Shh." Armin said, trying to hold her still. But Lenya continued fighting him, and started wailing. She grabbed at his shirt again, and smacked Armin's stomach in the process. Pain shot through the ripped skin and muscles, and Armin cried out and pushed her away. "Lenya, NO." He grabbed a pillow and laid it on his belly, protecting it. Eren started forward suddenly, but Hanji got there first. She picked Lenya up quickly and pulled her away from Armin, causing the infant to cry louder.

"Looks like she isn't going to let you sleep." Hanji said, bouncing the infant. "We'll come back after she's calmed down."

"Alright…" Armin said, pulling up his blankets. He watched the four of them leave, sighing. He wished he would heal faster…


End file.
